


Queen of Thieves - Paris

by danigobingo



Series: Queen of Thieves [1]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, Inspired by Lovestruck game, Queen of Thieves AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-16
Updated: 2019-08-20
Packaged: 2020-05-12 23:15:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 29,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19239091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/danigobingo/pseuds/danigobingo
Summary: Being a starving artist isn't so romantic for Kara Danvers...that is, until she's swept up in a heist by none other that the Gilded Dar-Essa: the world's most infamous group of high-class thieves. Stealing only the rarest of the rare, this situation isn't different...until Kara realizes that their target is her!? The question is, is Kara ready for a world of con games, daring escapes, and thrilling romance?





	1. Welcome to Paris

**Author's Note:**

> I've been obsessed with the game Lovestruck for some time now and couldn't resist writing a Supercorp fic of one of the stories. I'll be updating three chapters at a time. Hopefully you guys like this one and I'll try to get to my older stuff soon.
> 
> Thanks to @nerdyninja for looking over these chapters. You are the absolute best!!!

Kara never thought she would see Paris in her lifetime. Sure, she had read about it in several books and online articles, had watched movies and documentaries about the city, but never in a million years did she think she would be walking down the streets of Paris with the most infamous group of thieves the world has known: the Gilded Dar-Essa, who apparently need her for a heist; what that was going to be, Kara had no idea. Like with the city she was walking through, Kara had only heard stories of the group, being equally amazed and bewildered at how they were able to pull off high-caliber heists without getting caught. But now she was _with them! Walking down the streets of the City of Light with them right at this very moment!_ Not only that, but her older sister, Alex, was a part of the Dar-Essa. Now Kara knew why Alex practically dropped all contact with her five years ago. Nevertheless, it was good to see her sister again, even if it was under…strange circumstances.

“So what do you think, lil’ sis?” Alex asked, bumping her shoulder against Kara. “You’ve always wanted to come here, right? Does it live up to your expectations?”

Despite herself, Kara grinned from ear to ear. “It’s breathtaking. How often do you guys come here?”

A slender arm snaked around Kara’s shoulder, sending a shiver down her spine. She turned to see the dark haired woman who revealed that Kara had a stolen necklace into her purse, essentially making her a wanted criminal, smirking at her. “Whenever we feel like, _mon cherie_. Or when we have a job to do.” The woman winked and Kara quickly looked away to hide the color flushing to her cheeks.

“Lucy, leave my sister alone. She’s not the mark.”

Lucy shrugged and winked again. A loud shhh sounded from behind them. Kara saw the man she met at her friend’s art gallery—the one who _literally hacked one of the pieces with his phone_ —looking down at his phone with his brow furrowed in concentration. “Can we please not talk like that while I’m trying to keep us from getting detected?”

Kara turned back around just in time to notice one of the security cameras on the street turn as the Dar-Essa walked by. Her eyes widened significantly. Damn, this guy was good.

“Winn is right,” the man known as J’onn J’onnz—the leader of the Dar-Essa—said, a commanding tone in his voice. “We’ll discuss this more once we get back to the penthouse.”

“Aw, J’onn, where’s the fun in that?” A velvety voice purred beside Kara, sending a shiver down her spine. “What’s life without a little risk?” The woman she met at the jewelry store, the one that caught her eye, and apparently the one that snuck the necklace into her purse, was strolling by her side, her long black hair flowing in the light Paris breeze. Her lips were a dark red and her eyes shone like rare emeralds in the sunlight, and the sight made Kara’s heart stop. She had never seen a woman so beautiful before; it was as if this woman was sculpted from ivory, and Kara found herself wishing she was Pygmalion.

An elbow in the ribs brought Kara out of her daydream. “Ow! What the hell?”

“Eyes on the road, sis,” Alex whispered with a wink. Kara’s blush deepened.

“We take enough risks as it is, Lena,” the driver, James, said. “Let’s keep moving.”

The Dar-Essa and Kara kept making their way down the street, cameras turning so as to avoid being detected. Despite Alex’s teasing warning to her, Kara couldn’t help but steal glances at Lena: the way confidence oozed out of her every pore, the way her hair shone underneath the sun’s golden rays…she just looked so picturesque, and Kara was aching to take out her sketchbook and commit the look to memory. However, they got to the hotel before Kara could do any of that.

She wasn’t prepared for what she was walking into, but the sight of the common room of the penthouse was certainly a sight to behold. The entire room was lavish, each of the walls adorned with trinkets and trophies from what Kara assumed were from the Dar-Essa’s previous heists, each one more exquisite and expensive than the last. “This place is incredible,” Kara breathed in awe as she spun around the room, her eyes wanting to take in every single thing in the room. Alex shed her jacket and hopped onto the couch, stretching herself out like a content cat. “Dope, huh? Midvale’s got nothing on this place.”

“You’re telling me,” Kara said. “How do you even afford this place?” She jumped slightly when a hand touched her on her shoulder.

“That’s trade secrets, darling,” Lena whispered in her ear, her breath sending a chill down Kara’s skin. “Make yourself at home.”

Kara could just stand there frozen and watch as Lena sauntered into the kitchen, looking absolutely flawless as she poured herself a drink. _How does someone look so perfect doing a mundane task? It shouldn’t even be possible!_ Kara thought. The sound of J’onn’s voice brought Kara back to reality. “Alright, everyone. We’ll reconvene here bright and early tomorrow morning. Let’s get some rest.”

_Get some rest? But we just got here. And it’s the middle of the freaking day!_

Everyone made way to their rooms, leaving Kara and Winn alone in the common room, the latter working on something on his tablet.

“Kara, darling?”

Kara whipped around to see Lena peering out of the doorway of her room, her green eyes locked on Kara’s blue ones as she beckoned her with a single finger over. This caused Kara’s heart to flutter up into her throat, and she found herself walking towards the enamoring woman unconsciously. _Becoolbecoolbecoolbecoolbecool._ She stood face-to-face with Lena, who smiled at her knowingly. “Won’t you get me a glass of water with lemon, darling? I’m absolutely parched.”

Kara blinked in surprise at the mundane request, but she wanted to make a good impression with the group—especially Lena—so she made her way back to the kitchen to fetch the drink. When she returned with the drink in hand, Lena’s smile stretched into a grin; there was a glint of something in her emerald eyes, but Kara couldn’t put her finger on what it was. Nevertheless, there was something enchanting about the way Lena was looking at her; it was as if a magnet was pulling Kara towards the woman and she couldn’t resist. In fact, she found she didn’t want to resist. Being this close to Lena, Kara noticed everything: the softness of her face, the shine of her eyes, the curve of her cheekbones…and her lips. Her luscious, crimson lips, looking as plump as succulent cherries and just as enticing. Before Kara could think any more on the subject, Lena thanked her and shut the door in her face. For several seconds, Kara just stood there, perplexed as to what just happened. From the common room, she heard a husky laugh.

“Moth, meet flame.”

Kara walked back into the common room where Winn was still typing away furiously on his tablet. “What are you insinuating?”

“I’m not insinuating anything,” Winn countered, eyes still glued to the screen. “I’m just saying you should be careful around Lena.”

“Why’s that?”

Winn didn’t answer right away, instead standing up and finally looking at Kara. “Everything about Lena is as smooth as silk and just as hard to hold onto. She keeps a lot of things close to the chest. Not even we know a whole lot about her.”

Kara furrowed her brow. “Then why is she part of the group? You must trust her.”

“We do, but I’m just saying. Be careful.”

With that, Winn tucked his tablet under his arm and walked down the hall to his room, leaving Kara alone in the common room. She let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding and ran her hands through her hair, trying to wrap her mind around the past two days. Yesterday, she was a starving artist in National City, and today she was in Paris with the Gilded Dar-Essa to pull off a heist. How was this her life now? She still couldn’t believe it. At the airport, they said they needed her to pull off this heist, but…why? That part still eluded Kara. Before she could give any more thought on the subject, exhaustion from the past few days caught up to her. She flopped down on the couch, quickly succumbing to the sweet relief of sleep.

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------

 

_The gallery was hopping tonight. Everywhere, as far as the eye could see, patrons dressed to the nines were conversing with one another, champagne flutes in gloved hands as they admired the pieces before them. They were admiring her pieces, admiring her work and singing their praises about them as she walked by them. She smiled. There was no way this night could get any better. All of a sudden, she felt gloved hands on her face, soft as silk. She shivered as they caressed her cheeks, melting under their touch. The touch soon become wet, and surprisingly so…_

Kara woke with a start, nearly sending J’onn’s cat flying back. “Oh hey, kitty.” She reached over and petted the cat, causing it to purr loudly in the darkness. “Why’d you have to wake me up from such a good dream?”

The cat meowed, and Kara laughed as she picked it up and walked over to the window. The Paris skyline looked absolutely breathtaking at night, the sight making Kara’s heart flutter with warmth. She had dreamed about seeing this view for her entire life and now it was right here in front of her. “It’s so beautiful. How often do you get to see this view?” Kara whispered to the cat as she scratched it behind the ears.

“Not that often, but when I do, I savor every minute of it.”

Kara jumped at the sound of Lena’s silky voice behind her, causing the cat to leap out of her arms and onto the floor. She was wearing a long black dress and a red coat, and her hands were covered with long black gloves. She looked like an absolute goddess and the sight caused Kara’s breath to hitch. “Whoa, okay! You can’t do that!”

Lena held a finger in front of her lips, smirking slightly. “Shh. You don’t want to wake up the others, do you?”

Kara opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came out. Lena laughed quietly. “Do you like the view?”

Kara nodded. “It’s absolutely beautiful. I’m still amazed that this is all real.”

“Well,” Lena started, her smirk growing bigger. “Do you want to see it up close?”

“Up…up close?”

The smirk morphed into a toothy smile, a smile that sent a jolt through Kara’s heart. “I have an errand to run and I want you to come with me. Actually, scratch that, I need you to come with me.”

Kara blinked in surprise. “You—you need me to come with you?”

Lena nodded.

“What for?”

Lena reached into her coat pocket and pulled out several pieces of jewelry, causing Kara’s eyes to widen significantly. “Where did you get those?”

“I was out earlier and saw these and just had to have them,” Lena replied. “But I need something else tonight and I need you to come with me.”

“Does this have to do with why you brought me here?”

Lena didn’t respond right away, instead walking over to Kara until her face was mere inches away, the scent of oak and chocolate washing over Kara. _God, she smells fantastic! What is her secret?_

Lena raised an eyebrow and smiled knowingly. “You’re going to help me pull off the diamond heist of the decade.”


	2. The Underbelly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena takes Kara on a trip to Paris' underground black market...

For several long moments, Kara couldn’t help but stare incredulously at Lena. “You need my help…to steal… _diamonds?_ ”

“Precisely,” Lena stated, as easily as if she was commenting on the weather. “Exciting, isn’t it?”

“I…uh…”

“Oh, don’t lose your tongue now, darling. You’ll definitely be needing to use that later.”

Kara spluttered, her face flushing a bright red as her brain ceased to function properly. Lena must’ve noticed this because she began to laugh. “I meant that in order for us to pull this off, you are going to need to talk. Use your words.” She pointed to her mouth, her finger lightly touching her mouth. “Like I am now.”

That did nothing to help Kara feel better; all she could focus on now were Lena’s luscious lips. _I wonder what it would be like to kiss them._

“You’re adorable, you realize that right?” Lena asked, bringing Kara out of her daydream. Kara shook her head. “I try, ha.”

Lena smiled. “Well, are you coming or not?”

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll see, darling.”

Kara’s heart begun to race, hammering hard against her sternum as she resisted the urge to pinch herself to see if this was still a dream. Lena was still looking at her, her eyebrow arched in anticipation. _God, that look._ Even though she barely knew Lena, Kara knew that she was never going to be able to resist that look. She smiled. “Let’s go.”

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Despite the late hour, the Parisian streets were well lit and just as beautiful as they were in the daytime. There were a few other people walking down the street along with them, but Kara couldn’t focus on them too well with the woman practically brushing up against her side. Lena walked briskly, her hair and coat flowing lightly in the breeze, and it took everything within Kara not to just stare at her. This scene reminded her of a dream she had not too long ago, and never in a million years would she have thought that she would actually be walking down the streets of the City of Love with a beautiful woman; then again, she probably shouldn’t get her hopes up too high. Lena seemed like the kind of woman who kept everyone at arm’s length. Maybe Kara could ask Alex if she knew, but Winn had said that the rest of the Dar-Essa didn’t know a whole lot about Lena. Still, she should probably give it a try if they were going to be working together like this.

“You’re quite talkative, aren’t you, darling?”

Kara was startled out of her thoughts by the sound of Lena’s voice. She suddenly wondered if the woman could read her thoughts. God, she hoped not. “Just lost in thought, is all.”

“Anything you want to share?”

 _Says the woman who has been equally as quiet this entire work._ “Where are we going? You never said.”

“That’s because I’d rather show you, darling,” Lena said with a smirk. “It’s quite the place.”

There she goes with that name again. _Darling._ Every time Lena said it, Kara’s heart leapt into her throat. The name was so affectionate that Kara couldn’t help but feel a little special, but there was no way someone like Lena could be interested in someone like her…right?

“Turn here.” Lena grabbed Kara by the elbow and directed her into a dark alleyway with an even darker door sunken into the brick wall.

“Where are we?” Kara asked.

Lena stepped in front of her, turned around and smiled as she opened the door. With that, Kara followed Lena inside and down a long set of stairs until they came into a large room. Everywhere Kara looked, there were market stands selling products as mundane as food to products as outrageous as albino peacocks. Kara suddenly felt very out of place in her colorful dress. A reassuring squeeze on her bicep calmed Kara down a little bit. “This is the Underbelly, Paris’ finest black market. Anything you could ever want or need is down here. Just follow me, darling,” Lena cooed. “We’ll be in and out before you know it.”

They walked down the wall of market stands, Kara avoiding the questioning gazes of some of the sellers as Lena led her towards a specific stand. A woman stood behind the table, looking like she both belonged here and didn’t at the same time. She was wearing all red save for a black vest, her hair was tied back in a tight bun, and her lips were as red, if not redder, than Lena’s. She also had a tattoo of a snake well…snaking from her neck down her arm. She looked dangerous, someone who the likes of Lena and the Dar-Essa would probably do business with. Kara felt very out of place in that moment.

“Roulette, darling, how has my favorite dealer been?” Lena sauntered up, smirking as she leant over the counter suggestively.

“You know better than to use that talk on me, Lena,” the woman named Roulette said, not looking one bit amused. Kara’s heart sank; she should’ve known better than to think Lena was interested in her. How many other people had Lena used that word on? Ten? Twenty? A hundred? Maybe more? She had been in this line of work for a while…nevertheless, Kara still felt foolish to have fed into a stupid little puppy crush that was never going to bloom into anything more than that. It was like high school all over again.

“Now, Roulette, let’s not be that way,” Lena continued, paying no mind to Roulette’s unhumorous manner and Kara’s internal scolding. “Do you have what I came here for?”

“It’s all you ever come here for.” Roulette reached under the table and pulled out a short black container of lipstick. Kara furrowed her brow. _Lipstick?_ Did they really go to a black market to pick up one thing of lipstick?

“Thank you so much, darling,” Lena said, pocketing the lipstick in the bosom of her dress. “You simply are the best a girl can get.”

The compliment made a pit appear in Kara’s stomach.

“Of course I am,” Roulette rolled her eyes good-naturedly before they landed on Kara. “And who’s this? New friend of yours?”

“My new partner.” Lena placed her hands on Kara’s shoulder like a proud mother showing off their kid at a talent show. “This is Kara. Kara, this is Roulette, an informant of mine.”

“I’d think I’m more than an informant, Lena.” Roulette held out her hand for Kara to shake. “Pleasure.”

“Well, we must be going. It is quite late and there is much to be done. Kara?”

Suddenly, Lena’s grip on her shoulders was gone and she was heading towards the entrance. Before Kara could follow, Roulette grabbed her by the arm. “I’m sure you don’t need to be told this ‘cause you seem like a smart girl, but be careful around Lena. She can be quite entrancing when she wants to, but be sure you don’t get caught up in her web.”

“And why is that?” Kara inquired. Maybe now she would get to the bottom of who Lena was, or at the very least, learn more about her. But Roulette just smirked. “I’m sure you already know. And if you don’t, you’ll find out soon.”

 _Well, that was maddeningly unhelpful._ Kara nodded and with that, followed Lena back out the entrance and onto the streets of Paris.

 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Just like the walk to the Underbelly, both women were silent in their walk back to the hotel. They were taking the scenic route as neither of them were tired yet, so they passed over a bridge over the serene Seine River. Despite the beauty of the scenery around her, Kara couldn’t help but replay Roulette’s warning—if you could call it that—over and over again in her head. However, it only made her that much more curious about Lena. Everything she’s seen so far makes her want to get to know Lena more, so that’s what she was going to do. “You seem to know the city quite well.”

Lena smiled softly at the statement. “I’ve been here so much I know it like the back of my own hand.”

 _This was something._ “Where else have you been?”

“Oh, all over, darling. I could bore you with stories of my travels.”

Kara had a feeling she wouldn’t mind that. “Which has been your favorite?”

Lena bit her lip, slowing her pace before stopping and leaning over one of the sides of the bridge. Kara copied her movement, her eyes never leaving Lena’s face. “I would have to say Italy,” Lena said after a long thoughtful moment. “The cities there are absolutely magnificent. I used to spend so much time there when I was younger, I…” Lena paused, the gleam in her eyes darkening as her memories came to the forefront. “Perhaps we shall go there once business here is finished.”

Kara’s heart caught in her throat. Would they actually go to Italy? Furthermore…would _they_ actually include _her_? Kara didn’t know how far this partnership with the Dar-Essa would go, if they would continue to drag her across the world or if they would send her back to National City, and furthermore, back to Midvale. Kara lowered her head, a mix of feelings swirling through her mind and chest. Did she want to stay with the Dar-Essa? They did practically blackmail her into coming with them, but…a cold breeze cut through her clothes, causing Kara to shiver ever so slightly.

“Oh, where are my manners? You must be freezing.”

Limber arms wrap a delicate fabric around Kara’s shoulders, but it isn’t enough to hide her growing blush. “Um, thank you.”

“I completely lost track of time, you must be exhausted,” Lena said, her eyes filled with concern. “I am so sorry.”

“No, no, it’s okay, Lena. I’m not that tired, to be honest with you. The jetlag is kicking in pretty strongly.”

“Well, if that’s the case…” Lena bit her lip again, and Kara’s heart fluttered at the sight. “Actually, we should probably head back to the hotel. We have a lot of planning to do tomorrow and it’s best that we both get some sleep.”

Kara opened her mouth to protest. She wanted to say that she wanted to spend more time with Lena, that she wanted to continue walking through the city hearing about her exploits in other countries, but a yawn came out instead. Maybe she wasn’t as awake as she thought. “Okay. Let’s go.”

With that, they both head back to the hotel, comfortable silence stretching between them as Lena’s coat warmed Kara up from the inside out.

 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Kara didn’t remember what time she fell asleep, but when she opened her eyes, she saw she was back on the couch in the common room. _Was last night a dream?_ she thought as she rubbed her eyes. The smell of freshly baked goods brought her fully back to the land of the living and her stomach grumbled loudly. “Something smells delicious.”

“There she is,” Alex said, hopping over the couch and plopping down next to Kara with a plate of baguettes in her hand. “How did you sleep last night?”

“Pretty good, I think,” Kara said with a mouthful of bread. It was so fluffy that it melted in her mouth. “What?”

Alex was looking at her funny, and what was worse was that Kara recognized that look. It was her signature “you’re—hiding—something” look and Kara hated it. “During the night, I became parched, so I came out here to get myself a drink when lo and behold, I didn’t see you on the couch. So…where were you?”

Kara froze mid-bite. Could she tell Alex she was out with Lena last night? She probably could, but this was Alex she was talking to. Anytime Kara even looked at a girl, her older sister was right there poking fun at her.

“Kara, could you go see if Lena’s up?” J’onn’s voice boomed through the room. “We need to start the meeting soon.”

Thankful for the task, Kara bolted to Lena’s room, not paying attention to Alex’s laughter behind her. She knocked on Lena’s door a couple times, but there was no answer. “Lena? J’onn says the meeting’s about to start and he needs you there.” No answer still. Kara decided to pull the handle ever so slightly; she didn’t want Lena to think someone was trying to break into her room. She was shocked, however, to find that it was unlocked, so Kara stepped into Lena’s room.

Just like the woman who occupied it, Lena’s room was absolutely marvelous. Everything from the wallpaper to the furniture was rich and exquisite, and it had Lena written all over it. Kara couldn’t help but stare in awe at it; it was like something out of a painting. To her left, she heard the sound of running water. Lena must be showering. Heat flooded to her cheeks at the thought of Lena naked and soaking wet, so Kara decided to leave before she embarrassed herself even further. Just before she could do that, her eyes landed on a beautiful flower next to Lena’s vanity. “Whoa,” she whispered. Kara walked closer to it to inspect it further. It reminded her of a rose, but this one looked much prettier than one and even rarer. Its petals were as red as blood and the thorns looked deadly, but that didn’t stop Kara from admiring it and reaching her hand out to touch it. A slender hand grabbed her wrist tightly before Kara could touch it, thought, scaring the absolute piss out of her.

“Don’t touch that.”


	3. The Mark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara and Lena bond a little before meeting their mark for the heist...

“Don’t touch that. Or it will end very badly for you.”

Kara froze as Lena’s grip on her wrist tightened, her throat going dry at the intensity in the woman’s emerald eyes. _I think I finally understand the term ‘femme fatale’._ Lena didn’t look away, instead lowering Kara’s arm down to her side. “That’s a highly poisonous plant. Just one touch could kill you.”

Kara gulped. “I wasn’t going to do anything to it.”

“It’s not the plant I’m worried about.” Sighing, Lena relaxed slightly. “What are you doing in here?”

Kara’s face flushed a deep red upon realizing the awkwardness of her situation, made even more awkward by the fact that Lena was half naked. “I…uh…um…”

Instead of yelling at Kara to get out, Lena just laughed and sat on her chaise lounge, sprawling out like an animal upon it. The sight just made Kara’s blush worse. “What did I tell you about losing your tongue, darling?”

 _That’s not helping!_ “W—what do you want me to say?”

“Anything you want to. What’s the first thing that comes to your mind?”

 _Okay, you do NOT want to know that._ “Mostly why you would keep such a dangerous plant in your room.”

Lena didn’t answer her right away. Instead, she stood up and walked over to her vanity with the grace of a gazelle. She leant over and picked up a lipstick stick, opened it and applied it to her succulent lips. Kara watched in a trancelike state, biting her lip as she tried to keep her eyes from raking over Lena’s body. Soon, Lena’s lips were as red as the flower beside her. It all clicked suddenly. “Do you use that flower to make your lipstick?”

Lena laughed. “The flower in question is a Rosary Pea plant.”

Kara’s eyes lit up like Christmas trees. She had an inkling that she had seen that flower before; the clusters of its seeds looked like tiny gems, or colorful necklace beads on a rosary.

“How do you know about them?” Lena asked. She must’ve seen the look of realization on Kara’s face.

“I took a few jewelry-making classes in art school, which led me down a rabbit-hole of researching. It was a lot of fun, but I highly prefer painting.” Kara looked back over to the plant. “It’s kind of hard to believe that we started using them in art.”

“Why shouldn’t we? It’s quite beautiful, and if you handle it carefully, it won’t hurt you.” Lena shrugged. “It’s the same reason why we keep oleander in our gardens, despite the danger it presents.”

Kara remained silent, not sure of what to say to that. “So…I’m guessing you don’t want to poison me and you need my help.”

“No.” Lena pressed her hands to her forehead. “I mean, yes, we do need your help and no, none of us want to hurt you nor see you sent to prison. Besides, you wouldn’t hold up under questioning.” The smirk returned to her face and Kara’s cheeks reddened as Lena began to get dressed. Kara quickly averted her eyes.

“Um…well, I am just here for the experience. Being a high class thief now is still kinda hard to wrap my head around.” Kara tried to look at anything else, trying to think of anything to make this awkward silence less awkward. When Kara peeked to see if Lena was finished dressing, she was greeted with her direct gaze and a knowing smile.

“Of course, Kara,” Lena purred. “You’re a good girl, aren’t you?”

Kara shrugged, feeling the warmth prickle around her neck as she turned back around.

“Maybe I should try to change that.”

“What, like give me lessons in crime or something like that?” Kara joked, but the look on Lena’s face is earnest.

“Of course. Do you think I just know instinctively how to do my job? I had a teacher, and a very good one at that.”

Kara huffed. “I could never be like you, even if I did have the best mentor in the universe.”

“Don’t be so down on yourself.” Lena sidled up right next to Kara, her breath on Kara’s ear making the latter twitch. “Your stripes just need a bit of changing, is all, and I bet I would have no problem doing it. Not to mention I’ll have a lot of fun doing it too. All I need from you is your permission.”

Kara bit her lip in thought. If she could learn how to be more like the Gilded Dar-Essa, she could help them more on their heist. Not to mention that Lena seemed pleased with the idea of teaching her. “Sure! Absolutely!” Kara was so eager that she was bouncing on the balls of her feet. “I can learn whatever you teach me. I want to know everything I can to help you better.”

Lena’s amused but puzzled smile sent a jolt into Kara’s heart. That was a reward all on its own. “I consider myself good at reading people, but you, Kara…you continue to surprise me.”

“Is that a good thing?”

Lena tapped a finger under Kara’s chin. “It’s a very good thing.” She led Kara over to the chaise lounge and draped herself over it, motioning to Kara to sit by her. “Now before we begin, you must know that there are some things that just can’t be taught. You have to have a feel for them instead.”

Kara sat down, and almost instantly, Lena’s hand was upon her knee; she had to fight the urge to yelp.

“Like knowing what people want,” Lena continued. “I am _very_ good at that.”

“How does that help you take stuff from them?”

“It gives you power. It’s like a lesser form of blackmail. If you know what motivates this person, you can withhold it and when the time comes that they desperately need something, you can use it against them.”

Kara’s eyes widened. “Wow.”

Lena nodded, smiling. “Desperation makes people do crazy things. They become careless in their pursuit for desire, money, power, whatever it is that drives them.”

“Jewelry too?”

Lena hummed her agreement. “Jewelry too. You’re picking this up fast, darling.”

Kara’s shoulders sagged. _There she goes again._ By now, Kara had a sense of what Lena’s style was; she was like a mirror, reflecting and deflecting whatever bounced against her. Nothing really sank below the surface, at least not for very long from what Kara had seen. Not to mention, just like a mirror, Lena could move Kara’s form and attention in any way she so desired. Kara couldn’t help but wonder if everyone else in the Dar-Essa felt this way around Lena.

“Earth to Kara. Are you there?” Lena’s low amused voice broke Kara out of her thoughts. “Daydreaming again, I see.”

“Sorry!” Kara quickly apologized. “Rabbit-hole tendencies, ha.”

“There’s no need to apologize.” Lena reached forward and cupped Kara’s cheek with her palm. “This just makes it easier for me to get what I want.”

Kara’s lungs were burning as she held her breath, waiting for what Lena was going to say and do next. Suddenly, Lena’s whole demeanor shifts. All her gentle warmth faded away like a snake shedding its skin, replaced by an impish smirk. “Gotcha.” When Lena pulled away, Kara saw that she was holding one of her earrings between her fingers.

“What the—” Kara’s hand flew up to her ear, but she felt nothing. “How did you do that? I didn’t even feel you touch me.”

“You’re an easy mark,” Lena explained as if were the most simplest thing in the world. Satisfaction makes her look like a snake, dark and jovial as she sat coiled on the couch. “Your turn.”

“What? I—I can’t. I don’t know how to remove an earring with just one hand.”

“Practice makes perfect, and you won’t get better if you don’t practice. Come on, give it your best shot.” Lena changed her position so Kara could see her better. “And it doesn’t even have to be my earring. It could be my phone, my wallet, my ring, whatever you want if that makes it easier for you.”

Kara’s eyes dropped to the golden serpent ring wrapped around Lena’s finger.

“Also to make it easier for you, I shall not comment on wherever you decide to touch me.”

Kara’s cheeks deepened their blush. Did Lena know the effect she was having on Kara right now? She probably did. Nevertheless, Kara had to focus. She wanted to please Lena, she wanted to please the Gilded Dar-Essa. She would probably be cheating if she attempted the same move as Lena did, so in a moment of flustration—if that even is a word—Kara threw her arms around Lena and squeezed her as tight as she could. Lena stiffened; clearly, she wasn’t expecting an embrace. But to Kara’s surprise, Lena hugged her back, nuzzling closer as a huff of amusement tickled Kara’s ear. “This is quite adorable if I do say so myself, but what is your next step?”

“Uh…” The answer died on Kara’s lips as Lena tightened her hold on her. It felt so good to be this close to her, to be touched like this by her. It felt…right. “I was aiming for your necklace, but I don’t know how to reach it from this angle.”

Lena laughed loudly. “I’ll give you an A for effort, Kara. Needs some polish, but you were on the right track.” She squeezed Kara’s hands affectionately, and Kara couldn’t help the grin that came to her face. Suddenly, Lena’s phone buzzed. “We’ll have to continue this lesson another day. J’onn needs us in the main room. You go ahead, I’ll meet you there.”

Kara nodded and headed out, glowing with warmth from head to toe. The rest of the Gilded Dar-Essa is gathered around the large coffee table in the middle of the common area when Kara entered, each member having a steaming cup of the stuff before them. J’onn nodded to Kara in greeting, his hands braced around his cup as Kara sat down. “Here’s our artist now.”

“I think you may be right about her, Alex,” Lucy stated, one arm wrapped around her waist and the other propping up her chin. “She’s perfect for this job.”

“Of course I’m right. I’m her sister.”

“Don’t take all the credit now,” Winn scolded lightly. “She was Lena’s idea and you know it.”

Lucy shrugged. “That may be true, but if there’s anything that we can count on, it’s the vanity of nobility.”

Kara blinked, but decided to tuck that nugget of information into the back of her brain. She felt like she should be nervous, but all she felt was pure excitement.

“Hey, Kara, Have you eaten?” James asked. “You seem a little…disoriented, I guess.”

Kara blushed. _That would probably be because I just had a really gorgeous woman feeling me up not five minutes ago._ Before Kara could respond, however, Winn passed a plate of pastries in front of her while Alex poured her a cup of coffee and handed her a sandwich. It wasn’t until Kara took a bite that she realized just how hungry she was.

“She’s going to need you alert for this,” Alex explained as she finished pouring the coffee.

“Thank you, Alex. You know, I really missed this.”

“Coffee?”

Kara shook her head. “Eating breakfast with family.”

Alex’s cheeks flushed as Kara downed her coffee, surprising nearly everyone around her. “Whoa! Since when did you become a badass, Kara?”

“Since college, I guess.”

“Am I going to need to cut you off later?”

Kara laughed. “I’ll have one more.” This cup Kara decided to enjoy sip by sip.

“Don’t blink.”

Before Kara knew it, her photo was being taken by Winn, who was holding a pastry in his mouth. “Perfect,” the hacker said. “I’ll be able to get you fake IDs and credentials within the hour.

All the while, J’onn was watching Kara with curious eyes. “Did Lena tell you about the plan yet?”

“No.”

“Then I’ll assume she has her reasons,” J’onn said, not saying anything more as Alex poured Kara yet another cup of coffee. She noticed that the whole group was staring at her in an odd way; even Winn was sneaking glances up at her.

“What?” Kara asked.

“Nothing,” Lucy said, holding up her hands, but Kara knew that she was lying through her teeth. No one grins that big if they weren’t hiding something.

“Alex!”

The sound of Lena’s voice makes everyone jump, and the rest of the Dar-Essa looked guilty. Lena marched right up to Kara, taking the mug away from her. “I know she’s your sister, but you must be more careful. Two cups of Roulette’s blend will have her up for a week!”

Suddenly, Kara felt very sheepish. “I, uh, already had three…”

Alex covered her mouth with both hands to keep herself from laughing as Lena turned towards him with murder in her eyes.

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------

 

It took Kara several hours to fall asleep that night.

 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

 

Kara is still feeling pretty jittery the next morning as Lena offered to take her downtown. They ended up in a restaurant with menu items that would put the price of college textbooks to shame.

“What are we doing here?” Kara asked after a while. All this nervous energy was eating away at her appetite, not that she had much to begin with, so she fiddled with the silverware. Lena’s eyes were focused elsewhere, her voice a low murmur.

“I’m going to need you to stay quiet.”

“Why?”

“You’re a terrible liar.”

Kara bit her lip, but knew that Lena was right.

“And you need to follow my orders exactly.” Lena finally turned to look at Kara, a sharp smile planted firmly on her lips. “That part must come naturally to you.” She reached across the table and took Kara’s hand in her own, sending a shiver of heat down Kara’s spine. “Okay, we have to do this quickly.”

Kara remained silent as Lena tugged her through the other tables and towards the ladies’ room. Her pulse quickened as they entered, Lena standing directly behind her. They weren’t alone, however; another woman stood before one of the mirrors as she touched up her makeup.

“I didn’t want to embarrass you in front of the other patrons, Kara, but you have a stain on your blouse,” Lena said. “Why don’t you go freshen up?”

Blushing furiously, Kara moved towards the sink, but the subtle touch of Lena’s heel on her ankle sent her flying towards the other woman instead. Her makeup bag went flying, items clattering all over the floor. “Oh crap! I’m so sorry about that! Here, let me help!”

“Do you fall for every girl you meet, Kara?” Lena’s silky smooth voice said behind her, causing Kara to blush even harder. “So sorry about that, ma’am. Are you alright?”

“Just glad I already applied my eyeliner,” the woman said with just a hint of sarcasm.

“Darling, you are absolutely stunning, but if you don’t mind me saying…”

 _Again with the ‘darling’._ Lena must see this woman as some sort of mark as well.

Lena pulled out her lipstick and handed it to the other woman. “Just a bit more color and you will be perfect.”

The woman considered Lena’s offer for a bit before taking the lipstick and applying it to her own lips. Lena’s eyes don’t leave the woman, and for a moment, Kara is confused. A loud _thump_ sounded on the floor five seconds later; the woman was lying there, unconscious, with the lipstick a few inches from her hand. Kara’s hand shot up to her mouth to contain the coming shriek, her eyes widening in recognition. “That was the lipstick you got at Roulette’s shop. You poisoned her!”

Lena walked past Kara, picking up the woman’s body and dragging her into an empty stall. She locked the door from the inside before climbing over and out, landing with catlike grace next to Kara. “Don’t be absurd. She’s unconscious, not dead. We’re thieves, not murderers.” With that, Lena took Kara’s hand and led her back into the dining room. “You see that woman over there?”

Kara’s eyes followed Lena’s until they landed on a demure young woman with a poised and practiced posture. She practically oozed royalty. Kara nodded.

“Her name is Gayle le Marais,” Lena whispered. “The sleeping beauty in the washroom was supposed to be meeting her here today. But instead, the mademoiselle shall be meeting us.”

Kara furrowed her brow. “Why?”

Lena’s mouth stretched into an electric grin. “Because she’s essentially a princess, Kara. One of the few heiresses left in Europe’s aristocratic families. And I absolutely _love_ her taste in jewelry.”

Kara’s eyes widened exponentially. _We’re going to be stealing from her!?_


	4. "Princess" le Marais

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara and Lena officially meet the young heiress, Gayle le Marais, but things don't necessarily go to plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next three chapters are up! Working on the next three as we speak. Hope y'all like this! Thanks again to @nerdyninja13 for reviewing these beforehand. I love you and you're the absolute best!

Kara’s eyes nearly popped out of her skull as the pieces of the puzzle began to click in her head. “She looks like a celebrity.” Even from where they were standing, there was an air around Gayle le Marais that was different. Her skin is absolutely flawless, and her clothes looked like they were handmade just for her.

“It easy to maintain beauty if you have the money,” Lena said disdainfully.

“We’re really going to steal from her!?”

“Don’t be so loud, Kara,” Lena warned. “What did I tell you about not speaking?”

“To do that?”

“Indeed. Now follow me. We need to meet our client.”

Kara walked behind Lena, trying to keep her cool as the approached the princess…or heiress, rather. They were one in the same in Kara’s mind and _holy shit she was meeting a real life princess!_

“Madmoiselle le Marais,” Lena greeted, her French as smooth as silk. Kara was suddenly thankful for those few years of taking the language in high school. “So wonderful to finally meet you and so sorry to keep you waiting. I’m the event coordinator. Feel free to call me Eve. We spoke on the phone?”

“Oh, it is not a problem,” the princess said. She smiled softly and shook Lena’s hand gently. “It’s a pleasure to meet you in person. Ever since you managed Harry’s birthday with only a week to prepare, I’ve been a huge fan of yours.”

“The pleasure is all mine. Shall we get started?”

They all sat down around the table. Kara sat closer to Lena, of course; she hoped neither of them could hear her heart hammer against her sternum.

“I hope you don’t mind my assistant joined us,” Lena said, her hand on Kara’s shoulder warm and companionable. “She’s invaluable to me and my company.” She leaned in closer to Gayle. “And just between the two of us, I’m starting to wonder what I’d do without her.”

Luckily, Kara didn’t have to pretend to be flustered at the praise as her cheeks flushed. “Oh, she’s just being nice.”

Also luckily, Lena didn’t seem to be angry at Kara for speaking; in fact, by being genuine, she helped sell the ruse just that much more. _Score one for the new girl!_

Gayle shook her head and smiled. “Of course not! The more hands to help with this, the better. I really want this event to go smoothly.”

“And we want that too, madame. It’s not everyday you get to showcase the family heirlooms, now is it?”

Kara pulled out one of her smaller sketchbooks from her purse and began to jot down notes. She was supposed to be an assistant after all.

“Knowing the recovered necklace belonged to Marie Antoinette did make be hesitate, if I’m being honest,” Gayle said.

The pencil ceased its writing as Kara’s eyes widened. _We’re going to steal Marie Antoinette’s necklace? THAT Marie Antoinette!?_ Unable to form words, Kara angled her sketchbook in a way no one else could see and began to draw several pictures of necklaces, over and over again and in every style she could think of in that moment. “Don’t think I would ever get this chance in National City,” she whispered. Realizing that she had said that aloud makes Kara freeze. She looked up to see Gayle eyeing her, puzzled.

“Surely someone on Eve’s level has engagements in America, no?” Gayle asked.

_Crap!_

Thankfully before Kara could say anything, Lena swooped in to save the day. “But there are no royal families to assist in America, mademoiselle.”

“Ah!” Gayle’s cheeks turned pink from embarrassment. “But of course. Forgive me, I do not know where my head is today.”

Kara held in a sigh of relief. _Nice save, Lena!_

“That’s why your gala is so important to me,” Lena continued. “Nothing is more precious or as valuable as family.”

Gayle actually lets out her sigh of relief as a grin adorns her face. “You have no idea how much your help means to me. I’m already feeling much less nervous about all of this.”

Lena nodded. “Your family history is going to be on display. We’ll make sure everyone knows exactly who they belong to.”

Kara couldn’t help but be impressed at the double meaning of Lena’s words and she smiled. _Soon, that jewelry will be in the hands of the Gilded Dar-Essa!_

 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Once Lena and Gayle have wrapped up their meeting, she and Kara go to meet the other members of the Dar-Essa at a café near the hotel. “I’m worried that the real coordinator might say something to Gayle,” Kara said. “‘Sorry I missed our meeting, I was passed out in a bathroom?’”

Lena just laughed as J’onn folded his arms in front of his chest. “I’ll take care of that,” he said.

“J’onn never leaves a loose end untied,” Winn stated proudly.

“I’ll drink to that,” Alex said, and everyone clinked their coffee cups together.

“So it sounds like the initial contact went well,” James said with a smile. Kara took a big sip of her coffee, trying to avoid eye contact with everyone. Lena is also silent, her hands steepled in front of her.

Unfortunately, J’onn noticed this and he sits forward with a frown, his sharp eyes piercing Kara like a knife. “Something I need to know about, ladies?”

“Kara did talk more than I expected her to,” Lena said. Kara flinched at the words. _More like wanted me to._

“Is your cover at risk?”

“I smoothed it over.”

That doesn’t do much to smooth over the frown lines on J’onn’s face, and Kara squirmed in her seat. “So you didn’t follow Lena’s instructions, then. That could’ve ended very badly not only for you two, but for the rest of us as well.”

The idea that Kara could’ve jeopardized Lena’s safety, as well as everyone else’s safety, didn’t occur to her until just now. She swallowed a lump in her throat. Lena is always so calm and in control, it was impossible to, but this particular operation might be more fragile than Lena was letting on. “It won’t happen again. I promise.”

“See that it doesn’t,” J’onn said with a hard tone. It was like getting lectured by her father; in a way, J’onn was like the father of the Gilded Dar-Essa, always overseeing everything, and Kara hated that she disappointed him.

“Stop scowling so hard, J’onn, you’ll scare her,” Lena said, making a sweeping motion with her hand as if to brush him away.

_Too late for that, Lena, but thanks._

“I suppose there will be more opportunities for her to prove herself.”

“Absolutely. She and I are going to have a little more…hands-on training later today,” Lena purred as she placed her hand on the back of Kara’s neck, rubbing where it was most tense. A wave of heat shot down Kara’s spine as she bit back a moan. This was…going to be interesting.

 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

The sun was setting by the time the group decided to disperse, each one of them with different assignments given to them by Lena. When Lena made her leave, Kara followed, realizing quickly that they weren’t heading back to the hotel. Nevertheless, Kara’s mind was racing faster than James in his getaway car. Lena may have defended her back there, but there was still a big chance that she was on thin ice. Kara took a deep breath. She wanted to prove herself, but in order to do that, she had to be honest with Lena about what she needed. “Is there anything I can—?”

“Now, about that…”

The two women stopped, blinking in surprise as they began to talk at the same time. Lena laughed, covering her mouth with a gloved hand. “Ladies first.”

Kara grinned ear to ear as Lena stepped closer and linked their arms. It was only then when Kara realized where they were heading. “It’s the Eiffel Tower! And it’s right in front of me!” Kara was so happy she couldn’t help but dance in place. “Wait…I thought we were going to go train, not go sight-seeing.”

“You earned a treat,” Lena said with a wink. “Not to mention, I can multi-task.” She drew in closer, her arms wrapping around Kara’s waist. Kara froze at the sudden sensation of Lena’s body so close to hers. She didn’t move, not wanting to spoil the moment. After a few moments, Lena stepped back with Kara’s cellphone in her hand and a catlike smile on her lips. “Got you.”

Kara’s jaw went slack. “Aw, what the hell!?” _I walked right into that one, so I can’t be too mad, I guess._

Lena tossed the phone back at Kara, her grin still plastered on her marble-esque face. “Your lesson today is about being more mindful. You make a very tempting target at times. Well, most times I should say.”

Kara stuck her tongue out at Lena, but the latter only laughed. “Now, what was it you were going to say?”

“Oh.” Kara almost forgot about that. “Well, something’s been eating away at me since the café. Since the meeting with Gayle, actually. Can…can you promise me you’ll think about what I’m going to say instead of brushing me off immediately?”

Lena nodded and Kara continued. “All I want is to be on the same level with you, you know? With the rest of you, I mean. But the truth is, what we’re doing right now isn’t working. Going on instinct just means I’ll end up putting my foot in my mouth again, and I don’t want that.”

Lena nodded her head contemplatively. “What do you suggest, then?”

“I need you to tell me exactly what to do when you need me to do it.” _I could make a dirty joke there, but I’m not going to because this is serious!_ “Because I’ll do it. Gladly. There’s nothing I want more than to earn your trust.” For a split second, Kara saw something in Lena’s eyes. Something large and voracious, a swell of emotions she’s not used to seeing in Lena, but it’s gone just as quickly as it came.

Her voice, however, was completely unaffected. “Interesting proposal. Did Lucy put you up to this?”

Kara rolled her eyes and shook her head. “This is all me. But I can promise you I can help the Dar-Essa better if you just let me in.”

“That remains to be seen,” Lena said, a sort of finality in her tone. She began to circle Kara, her eyes raking her up and down in a judgmental sweep. “Come with me. Before we go any further down this road, we need to make sure you look the part.”


	5. To Catburgle or Not to Catburgle?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara and Lena get closer as the latter takes the former on a covert side mission.

The sight-seeing eventually led Kara and Lena to an expensive boutique on the Champs Elysees. Shopping had never been one of Kara’s favorite activities, but Lena decided that she needed to be “outfitted up”, so here they were. Kara looked at herself in the mirror, twisting this way and that, trying to get used to the new look. The shirt she was wearing was a jet black and hung off her shoulders, but was tight around her torso and chest. The pants were a better fit, but the whole thing was still something Kara would’ve never picked for herself in a lifetime. “This place is…a lot.”

Lena shook her head and smiled. “It’s just enough.” She offered Kara the final piece: a leather jacket that was soft as butter and rich as chocolate as she slid it on.

“Turn around, Kara. Let me see.”

Kara did so, surprised when Lena pulled her in closer by the lapels of her jacket. She hooked the zipper in place and drew it slowly down Kara’s chest. Kara prayed to whatever powers that were that Lena couldn’t hear the frantic beating of her heart against her sternum. She was _definitely_ thankful that Lena couldn’t read her thoughts right now. This situation would probably go a different way if they were alone…

“Perfect.”

Lena’s voice drew Kara back out of her racy daydream, the latter blushing incredibly as she tried to find her words. “Y—you know I can’t pay for this, right?”

Lena just smiled, tucking a stray blonde hair back behind Kara’s ear. “When you’re with me, you never have to worry about paying for anything.”

Kara bit her lip instinctively to keep herself from saying more. _I think I read a sugar mama story like this once._ However, the silence lasts for about five seconds. “Do you really think I can pull off these boots, though? I’ve never worn anything like this in my life.”

“I can tell,” Lena said. “But didn’t you say that you wanted me to tell you _exactly_ what to do? Does that not include wearing what I want you to wear, darling?”

 _Darling?_ Kara sighed. _She’s doing it again._ Lena was flirting with her again like she was a mark and if Kara was being honest with herself, she was starting to get sick of it. “I…do like the clothes. Like a lot.”

“Good, because you really do look amazing in those pants. Now go outside while I handle the cashier, and _don’t_ take your time.” Lena headed to the front desk after tugging on Kara’s zipper one last time.

_Okay, I KNOW she’s doing that on purpose!_

Kara watched as Lena immediately put her charm on full blast, talking in rapid-fire, conversational French with the man behind the desk. She smiled. _It’s really nice of Lena to pay for all of this._ She decided to wait outside for Lena, who comes out not long after. She grabbled Kara’s arm and started to lead Kara away from the store. “Why are you still lingering around here?”

“Uh,” Kara blinked. “I was waiting for you to pay?”

Lena stopped her walking to stare at Kara in complete shock…right before she threw her head back and laughed, her palm coming up to meet her forehead. “Kara, I wasn’t paying for anything. I was merely running distraction so you could slip out undetected.”

There’s a long pause before a wave of guilt and realization crashes over Kara. “Did…did I just shoplift!?”

“You really do need me to spell out every step for you, don’t you?” Lena said, still laughing as Kara blushed.

_They’re THIEVES, dummy! Why would they pay for anything?_

This incident led the women to another store, where the same thing happened, only this time it went a lot smoother. Then another, then another, Kara and Lena getting a feel for each other so they could work better together. And work better together is exactly what they did.

By the time the sun sank below the horizon, Lena had a new pair of sunglasses tucked away into an ill-gotten purse. As they head into a less populated area, Kara began to feel the exhaustion take a hold on her. “You know, this isn’t exactly what I signed up for. I thought being taken by the Dar-Essa meant high-risk missions. Something with stakes. Not stealing a few measly items from small stores.”

Lena chuckled to herself as she stopped in front of a building, this one significantly older than the ones surrounding it. Kara followed suit. “Did you already forget the main reason we are here?” Lena asked, a ghost of a smile playing at the edge of her lips. “I’m just helping you get your feet wet. Speaking of which…” She motioned Kara to follow her down a dark alleyway next to the building, stopping when Kara couldn’t see the light anymore. “This is the venue where Gayle will be showing off her newly acquired treasures to the public.” Lena rolled her eyes, causing Kara to stifle a giggle. “It’s so obnoxious. Claiming the reason for it is to share one’s family history is more of an excuse than reason. I know what Gayle really wants and needs is more clout to climb the societal ladders with.” A catlike grin spreads across her face, and Kara couldn’t help but grin back. Lena pointed to a vent behind them. “Help me up, would you?”

Kara knelt down and laced her fingers together, giving Lena a boost up so she could slip inside. After a moment, her head popped back out. “Come on, leap up. I’ll catch you.”

“W—what?”

“I’ll catch you.” Lena extended a gloved hand down towards Kara, her eyes and her smile filled with both excitement and waiting. “Do you trust me?”

Kara’s eyes locked with Lena’s deep green ones. God, she could swim in those eyes. But did she trust Lena?

She was here, wasn’t she? In a foreign country with a group of thieves and a beautiful, incredible woman willing to take a chance on her. So why shouldn’t she do the same? Kara reached up and took the hand offered to her, and Lena pulled her up. She was stronger than she looked, and that only made Kara’s blush deepen.

“Stay close, alright? We’ll be in and out in a flash.”

With that, Lena turned around and began to crawl. Kara followed suit, trying not to stare at Lena’s ass the entire time. Not that Kara was complaining about that…and she didn’t have much of a choice given her position. After several minutes of crawling, Lena dropped down, Kara right after, into what looks to be a security room of sorts. “What are we doing in here?” Kara asked.

“Winn needs access to the security cameras for the event,” Lena answered, stepping forward towards one of the computers. “Along with some other things.”

“The event isn’t for a few more days, though.”

“All the more reason to get it done early. Besides, we need to know every entrance and exit point for when we steal the jewels. J’onn doesn’t want to leave any stone unturned. He never does.”

Kara nodded. _That makes sense._ “What do you need me to do?”

“Keep watch for me while I do this.” Lena looked up at the clock behind them. “The next guard shouldn’t be here for another half an hour, so we should be fine, but just in case. You never know what can go wrong in these kinds of situations, but that’s what makes this line of work fun.” Lena’s smile is infectious, so Kara did as she said and waited by the door, peeking her head out just a little into a thankfully empty hallway. Looking behind her, Kara saw Lena plug in a flashdrive, typing in a few codes that she had on her phone. _Winn must’ve given them to her_ , Kara thought, watching as Lena’s brow furrowed in concentration as she watched the data transfer to the flashdrive. Kara smiled. Lena looked really cute like that; the sight made her heart leap into her throat. The sound of voices talking in French brought Kara back to reality. A chill went down her spine as the voices got closer. She closed the door as quietly as she could. “Lena!” she whispered harshly. “We got company!”

Lena looked up at Kara, her eyes wide with surprise. “Already?”

“We gotta go!”

Fortunately, the data had just finished transferring; unfortunately, that was the exact moments the guards decided to come in.

“Huh? Who are you?”

Both Kara and Lena remained silent, the former frozen in shock at the prospect of being caught. Lena, on the other hand, grabbed a hold of Kara’s hand and took off running past the guard.

“Hey! Stop!”

They didn’t. They just kept running down hallways, past a few more guards, until they reached the front of the building, and even then they didn’t stop until they were well a ways away from it. Once they stopped to catch their breaths, they looked at each other and broke out into laughter.

“That was crazy!” Kara exclaimed, her lungs screaming and her legs sore. “Holy hell, I just felt like I ran a marathon.”

“At least your wearing somewhat suitable shoes for that,” Lena said, pulling off her heels. “Are you okay?”

Kara nodded, giving Lena a thumbs up. “I could go for a shower and a warm bed right now.”

Lena laughed, the sound like a melody to Kara’s ears. “You and me both. Let’s get back to the others. Winn will want this.” She turned towards Kara with a small smile on her face. “You know, you’re a lot of fun, Kara.”

Instead of blushing at the praise, Kara frowned. Lena noticed. “What’s with the sour expression?”

“I’m still not sure if you’re just messing around with me.” There. It was out in the open. No taking it back now. Kara just hoped it wouldn’t ruin what little of her relationship with Lena was. Lena said nothing right away, instead trying to push her windswept hair out of her face with little success.

“Here’s a hint,” she said finally. “When I’m trying to pull the wool over someone’s eyes, I always look my best.” Lena returned to trying to fix herself, her frustration growing with each second. Kara found herself grinning at the sight.

“Hold on, I got you.” Kara reached out, combing her fingers through Lena’s hair to get it back the way it was before. “There. Good as new.”

Kara wasn’t sure if her eyes were fooling her, but she could’ve sworn she saw a tinge of pink in Lena’s cheeks. “Thank you,” Lena said, her voice barely above a whisper. “Now it’s your turn.” She smoothed the lapel of Kara’s jacket down and tucked away a stray hair that had come loose from the latter’s bun. Kara’s heart did a somersault in her chest; in that moment, it felt as if they were finally in sync.

“You’re so sweet,” Lena said, her pupils still blown out from adrenaline. “It’s easy for you, isn’t it?”

Kara froze. “Lena?”

Lena’s arm wrapped around Kara’s waist and pulled her closer, intent unmistakable. She leant forward.

_OhmygodohmygodohmygodOHMYGOD!_

Lena kissed her cheek.

_Oh, come on!_

“Chicken,” Kara teased, causing Lena to laugh good-naturedly.

“Trust me, you don’t want to go down that path. Here’s another hint: I won’t try to kiss you while I’m wearing this shade.” Her smile turned more smug. “Let’s just say it won’t end very well for you.”

Flashes of what they did to the event coordinator passed through Kara’s mind. “Noted.”

Lena nodded approvingly, turning around to walk down the street back to the hotel.

“Do you think they’ll find us, though?” Kara asked, also remembering the stunt they just pulled. “I mean, they saw our faces.”

“Winn will take care of that, don’t worry.” Lena smiled at Kara reassuringly. “Come on, let’s get you home.”

Kara’s heart fluttered at Lena’s touch, and more so at the fact that the hotel was now “home”. Or was that the Dar-Essa? Either way, Kara couldn’t help but smile. She might be earning her place quicker than she thought.

 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

 

As it turned out, the building that Kara and Lena cased the previous night had a lot more information than the latter dared to hope; there was a whole treasure trove of data she pulled onto that flashdrive. This was advantageous to them as the women met with Gayle later that morning.

“Thank you again for meeting me on such short notice,” the heiress said, leading Kara and Lena into her magnificent house. _More like a palace_ , the former thought. “I know everything is already super rushed, but…”

Lena quickly quiets her with a reassuring smile. “If anyone can handle this, it is my assistant and I.”

Kara smiled at the praise. She had an inkling that that wasn’t necessarily part of the act, which made her smile even bigger.

For the next few hours, Kara furiously wrote everything down, copying every little detail down as Lena and Gayle went over them. There was no doubt in Kara’s mind that this event was going to be one of the most lavish, exquisite, and expensive events in all of Parisian history.

“This event is not just for me,” Gayle said. “All of my family’s heirlooms, the necklace especially, have significant historical and cultural significance and value. I want them to be available to all, not have them locked up in a vault left to collect dust.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Lena said with a smile. “But this is _your_ event, too, darling, as well as your history. Let’s not lose focus on that important detail. I can’t help but feel that we should tap into that history a bit, wouldn’t you agree?”

“What do you mean?”

“Do something that the royal family might have done, of course. A portrait of you wearing the jewels would definitely send the right kind of message.” Lena turned her gaze towards Kara. “And I know just the artist for the job.”

Kara’s eyes bugged out, her mouth hanging slightly agape. _ME?!_

Gayle didn’t seem to share Kara’s surprise, her hands clapping together in excitement. “I love it! Oh! I actually have some pictures of the gemstones on my phone if you want to see. Or would you rather need to see them in person?”

The question is directed to Kara, and it takes a while for her to find her words. “Yes, I do! I mean, uh…of course, I would love to see the jewels firsthand. Get a real good look at them to know what I’m dealing with before you wear them, right?”

Gayle beamed. “I’ll arrange a meeting with the person keeping them. I’ll let them know you’ll be coming to see them soon.”

Kara had to keep her excitement down a notch as she and Lena left, now with permission to view the jewels whenever they so desired. _This is all just too good!_ Kara thought to herself, an ecstatic smile fighting its way onto her lips. _Everything is looking up for us!_

 

\---------------------------------------------------------------

 

“Was that a fever dream?” Kara asked Lena as they walked down the street, arm-in-arm. Lena had adopted this practice recently, and since she never did it in private, Kara assumed this was only to help her keep her head in the game. Nevertheless, she still loved the gesture. “Because it felt like a fever dream. It couldn’t have happened.”

Lena just laughed. “As I said, blue blood doesn’t make anyone smarter than us.”

They had once last meeting before they needed to head back to the hotel. “Who are we meeting up with again?”

“A fence. Just keep being as you are and everything will be…”

They turned down the street where they were supposed to meet Lena’s “fence”, and are greeted with the sight of a man sprawled out on the ground. Standing above him, another man adjusts their sleeve, the knuckles on his right hand clearly bruised.

“Ah, Lena,” the man said, his smile as white as pearls. “Sorry to have interrupted your meeting, but I have some news to share with you.”

Kara couldn’t help but stare wide-eyed at the scene before her. “Is…is _that_ your fence?”

Lena shook her head, her eyes narrowing as they shifted from the man on the ground to the man smiling at them. “No. No they are not.”


	6. Draw Me Like One of Your French Girls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara meets one of Lena's "friends", sees priceless jewels, and ends the day in a way she wasn't expecting.

The silence stretched on between Kara, Lena, and the mystery man before them. Who was he? And how did he know Lena? Kara had the urge to just take Lena’s hand and sprint as far away from this situation, but her feet remained glued to the pavement, her eyes locked on the strange and apparently dangerous man smiling at her.

“It’s wonderful to finally meet you…Kara, is it?” the man greeted.

_Wait, what? How does he know my name?_

“This matter concerns both of you, in fact, so it’s important that you listen,” the man continued, not noticing the panicked expression on Kara’s face. She almost expected Lena to tell the man off, but instead she just lets out an amused laugh. Kara blinked in surprise. _What in the hell is going on right now?_

“Jack, you know it’s not nice to hit people.” She scanned the person on the floor coldly. “Although…knowing Morgan, he was probably asking for it.”

Jack grinned, flexing the fingers of his injured hand without wincing once. “Would you believe me if I told you he was the one who threw the first punch? I do apologize, though. I know you two were meeting for business and such.”

“It’s fine,” Lena said, taking Kara’s hand in her own and extended it to Jack. “Jack, dear, this is the girl I was telling you about.”

“Enchante, mademoiselle.” Jack took Kara’s hand and kissed it once, the hairs of his mustache and beard tickling it slightly.

Now Kara was even more confused than she was before. “Who are you exactly?”

“A friend,” Lena answered in Jack’s stead. “More trustworthy than the person we were supposed to be meeting here, if I’m being completely honest.”

“Oh, Lena, you flatter me.”

“I only speak the truth, darling. Now tell me what you have.”

Instead of speaking, Jack pulled out his cellphone and motioned for Lena to come and look at it. After several moments of silence, Lena spoke. “How confident are you in this information?”

“Enough to track you down and give it to you myself.”

Lena nodded curtly. “I’ll look into this right away. Thank you, Jack.” She kissed him on both cheeks in parting before turning down the way she and Kara came.

“Until next time, Kara,” Jack said with a wave of his hand. “Everyone is very interested to see what you’ll do next.”

Kara furrowed her brow. “Who is…everyone?”

She doesn’t get an answer as Jack turned around to leave himself, leaving Kara alone in the alleyway. Well, alone with an unconscious man. Not wanting to stay there much longer, Kara whipped around and jogged to catch up with Lena. “Well, that wasn’t sinister at all,” she joked once she caught up, but Lena’s face remained stony and strained. “Lena?”

Lena bit the bottom of her lip, chewing on the silence as well as the flesh, leaving Kara wondering if she’ll trust her enough with the full picture. They had been making several strides to work closer since they arrived in Paris; it would be a shame if Lena went back to her old ways right now. “Jack got details from another heist. Gayle’s jewels might be fakes.”

Raw shock kept Kara’s tongue from moving, but not her mind from racing. While she was glad that Lena trusted her with this, she also wished that it wasn’t for something like this. If this was true, if Gayle’s jewels weren’t as real as she claimed, then this whole heist would be for naught. There wouldn’t be any reason for the Dar-Essa to be here…or Kara. The thought sent a shiver of fear down her spine. Was she going to be sent home to face everything on her own? Lena had told her that none of the group wanted to see her hurt or in prison, but she wasn’t even a member. They could drop her just as easily as they picked her up, and that alone was enough to send Kara into a downward spiral. “But…but there’s got to be a way to know for sure, right?” she asked in an attempt to quell the thoughts brewing in her mind.

“That’s what we’re about to find out,” Lena replied. “Come on.” Her pace began to quicken, looking to the world like a woman on a mission, and Kara worked to keep up with her. They eventually reach their destination: a quaint little jewelry shop that looked like a million other stores Kara had seen in her lifetime. “This is where Gayle’s heirlooms are being kept, at least for the time being,” Lena said.

Kara scanned the building. The jewelry inside was definitely higher quality than most, but other than that, it still looked like a plain, unassuming store. “Why here, though? This place doesn’t look super high in the security department.”

Lena gave her a small smirk. “You of all people should know that appearances can be deceiving.” She turned to meet Kara’s gaze, but Kara noticed something unfamiliar swimming in Lena’s irises: uncertainty. In the short time that Kara had known Lena, she’d never seen the woman shaken by anything. The fact that this had her nervous was making Kara feel nervous as well. “I need your help in determining if the pieces are genuine.”

Kara flashed back to the moment she met Lena back in National City, also at a jewelry store. Lena had looked as exquisite as she does now, and had captivated Kara with her looks and charm. She had “needed help” picking out a necklace, and Kara was able to help…along with showcasing her ability to tell fake jewelry pieces from real ones. Was that why Kara was chosen? “I can do that. I won’t let you down.”

Lena smiled, albeit a little weakly, before they walked in. After greeting the owner and asking to see the pieces, Kara sat at a table with Lena close behind her. A few minutes passed before the owner brings out the jewels, and Kara’s jaw dropped upon glancing them. “Oh…wow.” Her eyes are immediately drawn to the centerpiece of it all: the famed necklace. It was almost akin to looking into a sea of stars, glittering and catching every ray of light. They were so beautiful that no words could do them proper justice. Shaking herself out of her stupor, Kara reminded herself that she had a job to do, so she began to inspect the jewels. After several moments, she came to a verdict: these were the real deal. There was no doubt in her mind. On instinct, Kara pulled out one of her sketchbooks and began drawing the pieces furiously; she had to commit them to memory somehow. She felt Lena looking over her shoulder, as well as the smile growing on her face.

“I think that tells me everything I need to know,” Lena said, and Kara beamed. Approval radiated off Lena as she tilted her whole body towards the display, much like a magnet pulled north.

 _Looks like our work here is done_ , Kara thought.

They exited the shop a few moments later after thanking the owner, both breathing a sigh of relief once they were outside. “I am grateful to Jack for being thorough, but I’m thankful we don’t have anything to really worry about now.”

Kara nodded enthusiastically. “I was so scared that Jack’s info was right and that I’d have to go back home.”

Lena frowned as she fidgeted with her ring, the golden snake encircling most of her ring finger. “Was that your worst case scenario? Packing your bags and heading back to the good ol’ US of A?”

“There’s…a lot into ‘going home’ for me,” Kara explained. Lena trusted her with some truth, now it was time for her to do the same. “Going home would mean I failed. Failed at being an artist. Failed at making a living for myself.” She gestured towards Lena and around her. “Failed at helping you pull off this heist. I don’t want to lose this chance.” More so, Kara didn’t want to lose her chance to get closer to Lena, but Lena didn’t need to know that detail right now. “Besides, it really would’ve sucked leaving without doing anything on my wish list.”

Lena’s smile stretched into a grin, the pearls in her mouth glinting when the sun hit them. “Please tell me that one of your little sketchbooks holds such a list.”

Kara felt her cheeks burn. “Lots of people write lists, you know. I’m not that weird.”

“No, you most certainly are not. So tell me, what is on this list of yours? Maybe we can cross something off while we’re here.”

“Really? You mean that?”

Lena nodded. “Despite my career choice, I am a woman of my word, Kara. You’re in the City of Love, for crying out loud. There are plenty of things to do here. What do you want to do?”

Kara’s heart fluttered in her chest and she couldn’t stop the grin growing on her face. She had dreamed about doing something like this her entire life and now a beautiful woman was offering this on a plate to her. She wasn’t going to pass this up, no way no how. One place stood out in her mind, someplace she’s wanted to go ever since she was a child. “Can we go to the Louvre?”

Lena returned Kara’s grin. “Of course.”

 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

The Louvre was packed, of course, as Kara expected. It was only one of the most well-known and well-respected museums in the world, after all, but it was not enough to dampen her spirits. Nothing could. She was at the _freaking Louvre_ with the most beautiful woman she had ever met; just that alone was enough to send Kara’s heart fluttering. As they went through the museum, Kara rattled off facts excitedly about each piece they came across to Lena, who was watching her with amusement and affection. Or at least, that’s what it looked like to Kara. It’s hard to tell what Lena is thinking or feeling at any given time, which was a little frustrating if Kara was being honest with herself, but it felt like they had made some progress the past few days.

At least, that's what Kara hoped. Why else would Lena take time away from preparing for the heist to help her cross some stuff off her bucket list? Kara smiled to herself. Despite everything that had happened, she couldn’t help but feel that she was the luckiest girl in the world.

“What are you smiling about?”

Kara almost didn’t hear Lena’s soft question, her face turning bright pink when she saw Lena staring at her. “Oh! Uh…I was just thinking.”

“About what exactly?”

Kara’s blush deepened. “I never thought I would see this place. My class was given the chance to in college, but I couldn’t afford it. It’s crazy how things work out in the end, isn’t it?”

Lena smiled. “It is. Are there any other pieces you wish to see?”

Kara didn’t even have to think about it. “The Mona Lisa, definitely!”

They head up to wear the famous painting is being kept and, like almost everything else in this building, it’s completely surrounded by people. Kara’s heart sank slightly, but a gloved hand wrapped around hers and began to drag her through the crowd. “Lena, what are you doing?”

“You wanted to see the painting, correct?” Lena turned back to look at her, a smile generating on her red lips. “You wouldn’t have been able to see it from back there.”

After a bit of light pushing and shoving, Kara found herself face-to-face with the Mona Lisa. It was much smaller than most people are led to believe, but that didn’t take away from its beauty.

“Well, is it everything you’ve ever dreamed of?” Lena asked.

Kara nodded. “It’s incredible. I’m actually kinda surprised you haven’t stolen it yet.”

Lena laughed, placing her hand on the small of Kara’s back. “While it certainly would be quite the feather in our cap, it would be too high-risk, even for people like us. I, for one, believe that certain items belong in such a place as this.”

“Who knew a thief would be a fan of museums?”

Lena laughed lightly. “I do have a soft spot for places that have historical meaning. My mentor and I would frequent places like this a lot when I was younger, so being here makes me feel a little at peace. I know it must seem a little silly.”

Kara shook her head. “No, not at all. It’s quite sweet, in fact. I’m the same way.”

“Maybe that’s why we get along so well.”

Kara chuckled, her smile reaching her ears. “Yeah, maybe.”

They stood there in comfortable silence for a while longer. Kara couldn’t help but feel the urge to hold Lena’s hand as they did so. It just felt right. However, the time to do so passed along with Kara’s courage when Lena turned to face her once more. “We should probably get back to the hotel. J’onn will be expecting us.”

“Right. Of course.”

“Did you enjoy today?” Lena asked. Her eyes were filled with what Kara could only assume was concern. “Was this place…suitable for you?”

Kara nodded enthusiastically. “It was more than suitable, Lena, it was perfect. This whole day was perfect because it was with you.”

Lena’s cheeks glowed a bright pink. “I’m glad. I feel the same way.”

Now it was Kara’s turn to blush. “Thank you for everything today. You have no idea how much this means to me.”

“The pleasure was all mine, Kara. In fact, this is the most I’ve relaxed in quite some time, so thank you for that.”

Kara’s heart melted. Lena was so stressed earlier about the jewels being fakes, so worried about failing the Dar-Essa on this mission where she was leading—for the first time, Kara found out from Alex the other day—that Kara was glad that weight was now off Lena’s shoulders. “Maybe we should do something like this more often.”

“I would like that,” Lena said, and Kara had a pep in her step the entire way back to the hotel.

 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------

 

That night, instead of ordering in, the Dar-Essa decided to go out to eat in the town, with Alex claiming she was so hungry she could eat a horse.

“Complaining won’t make the food arrive faster,” James said, giving Alex a look.

That prompted an amused huff from J’onn. “I agree. Be more like your sister. She hasn’t whined once since we got here.”

Alex slouched in her seat and stuck her tongue out at Kara. Kara stuck her tongue back at her. It was like they were kids again. God, Kara missed her sister. “It seems that I am now in a competition to see who is J’onn’s favorite with my own sister.”

“You say that as if I am already not J’onn’s favorite,” Lucy said with a shake of her head, but Kara noticed she was fighting back a smile.

“Alright fine, second favorite.”

Beside them, Lena laughed. “Be sure that Kara doesn’t get ahold of any of your nitroglycerin, Alex.”

All the color drained from Alex’s face. “She would blow us up the minute she touched them.”

“Hey!” Kara protested. “That’s hardly fair.”

“That’s totally fair! You practically almost set the house on fire when we were kids! More than once!”

That had the whole table laughing and Kara’s ears burning as Alex told them the story. By the time she was finished, Kara’s head was buried in her hands and the group was doubled over from cackling. A soft hand touched her shoulder blade. “Are you alright, Kara?”

Kara looked up to see Lena looking at her. Her green eyes were red from laughter, but there was still concern in them. No one else was paying attention to them as Alex was regaling them with more stories from the Danvers’ sisters’ childhood. Lena’s hand didn’t move, so Kara bit her lip and nodded. “Yeah—yeah, I’m okay. Just a bit embarrassed is all.”

“Do you want to go back to the hotel?”

Lena’s voice is so soft and gentle that Kara couldn’t help but stare. “Um…yeah, sure. If you’re okay with that.”

“I am.” Lena stood up, Kara following suit as she bid the others goodnight. It was a relatively short walk back to the hotel, but instead of going to crash on the couch, Kara was being led back into Lena’s room.

_Don’t freak out! Don’t freak out! Don’t freak out! DON’T FREAK OUT!_

Once they were inside, Lena closed the door behind them and made her way over to her vanity. “Are you feeling alright?”

Kara nodded. “Yeah, I’m okay. Thank you.”

“This isn’t the first time Alex has told us stories about her childhood,” Lena said, removing her earrings and placing them on the dresser. She pulled out a thing of lipstick and began applying it to her lips. “But don’t worry, she always painted you in a good light. It made me really want to meet you.”

Kara blushed. “Really?”

In the mirror, Lena smirked. “What do you think?”

Kara opened her mouth to reply, but no words came out. Her mind was still trying to wrap around the fact that Lena knew who she was before they even met. This whole situation was still so surreal. Her attention was brought back to Lena when the latter spoke, . “Are you ready for our next meeting with Gayle?”

“Oh!” They were meeting Gayle the day after tomorrow for Kara to make the portrait. “Yeah—yeah, I think so.”

“When’s the last time you did someone’s portrait?”

“Not since college. I have done a few self-portraits, though. Why do you ask?”

The brow raise Kara got sent a spike of heat down her spine. “This portrait needs to be perfect, one befitting of a princess.” Before Kara could say anything, Lena began to undress.

 _Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck._ “Uh, Lena…”

“I want you to practice drawing me, Kara.” Lena turned her head slightly, giving Kara a knowing, heated look. “If you’re up for it.”


	7. You're an Artist, Are You Not?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara nearly has a gay panic while everyone realizes that some stuff may be going on between her and Lena...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm finally back. Sorry for being away for so long, I'm going to try and update more regularly in the future. I hope you all like this next installment as we are nearing the end of this first segment. Enjoy!

For several seconds, all Kara could do was stare at Lena, her mouth agape and dry as a desert as she tried to wrap her head around the sight before her. Ever since she set foot in Paris—hell, from the moment she met Lena in that jewelry shop back home—all Kara wanted to do was draw her. There was something about Lena that was smoky and ephemeral…a charcoal drawing would probably do her the most justice. Kara berated herself internally for leaving her charcoal at home; all she had were a pencil and paper, which she shakily began to use to draw the vision of the woman that was half-naked before her.

_Breathe. Remember to breathe, Kara. Remember to breathe._

In no time at all, several tiny sketches of Lena filled the paper in Kara’s hands, so she pulled out her sketchbook and started the process over. On one hand, Kara wasn’t expecting for Lena to strip down to draw her…on the other, though, it did give Kara the excuse to stare at Lena for as long as she wanted. She could stare at her all day long if given the chance. “I’ll—I’ll get as much detail as I can,” Kara said finally, trying to keep her voice from cracking. The intimacy in the room was almost overwhelming; Kara felt like Jack aboard the Titanic drawing his Rose for the first time, trying to get every detail and feature of Lena’s just right. A blush crept its way up her throat, and Kara coughed to try to hide it. “But it’ll be hard to show you how I paint without…uh…the proper materials.”

Lena just smiles. “I have some paints for you, actually. Alex bought them earlier today. They’re in my closet if you want them.”

“That helps,” Kara beams. She went over to Lena’s closet to retrieve them, her joints stiff and movements robotic from sitting and drawing for so long. Her brain was so wired that she didn’t even think to snoop around; she was in and out before she knew it. “This is just like life-drawing classes, except not really.” She sat back down in her chair. “Have you ever modeled before?”

“A few times,” Lena says as Kara begins to work on a rough outline of her.

This new information almost causes her brain to flat-line. “Well, that explains why you’re so nicely posed. I mean I’ve drawn naked people plenty of times, but…” Kara’s voice trails off as her blush deepens, quickly realizing what she was about to say.

_This time is different. But why? Because it’s Lena? I barely know her, why is this so weird?_

A soft chuckle brings Kara out of her mind. “I think I like seeing this side of you,” Lena says with a small smirk, her red lips shining in the low light of the room.

“Y—you do?” Kara stammers.

“Yes, I do. You get this crinkle right between your eyes when you concentrate. It’s very cute.”

Kara pauses mid-stroke, sweat beginning to build on her palms. “Now you’re making me self-conscious.” She looks up for a brief moment, only to notice Lena staring at her intensely. _If she stares any harder at me like that, I might burst into flames!_

“Aww, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable,” Lena says, adjusting her pose just slightly. Still, it was enough for Kara’s heart to leap up into her throat. “Why are you so far away, all crowded into a little corner? Don’t you want a better look?”

 _Okay, now I KNOW she’s trying to kill me._ It takes everything within Kara not to snap her pencil in half, to leave professionalism at the door and run her fingers up Lena’s thighs; her soft-looking thighs. “Can I? Come closer, I mean.”

When Lena had put on her red lipstick earlier, Kara took it as a sign to stay away, but now…that mouth was daring her to ignore that danger, throw caution to the wind and to take a chance. Kara wanted nothing more than to swipe her thumb over those lips and smear the red paint over Lena’s smooth skin like a fresh canvas. And what a canvas Lena would make…

“I don’t know, darling,” Lena purrs. “Can you?”

In a cruel twist of irony, the normally sweet term of endearment turns Kara right off. Where Kara thought they were actually flirting, turns out Lena was just teasing her, toying with her like a cat with its prey. _Of course...why did I expect anything else from the_ seductress _of the group?_ Kara thinks miserably. She turns her attention back to her work. “I need to focus.”

Lena seemed to catch onto Kara’s change of tone because she immediately stopped flirting so much. Kara didn’t appreciate the relapse back into miscommunication and manipulation, and she berated herself for falling for it again. What would it take for her to learn, or to get Lena on the other side of the tracks for once? What would it take for Lena to actually be _real_ with her? “There,” Kara says after a while, setting the finished product down in front of Lena a little hard than she means to. “It’s finished.”

Lena’s eyes widen a hair. “That was fast. I thought for sure it would take until morning.”

“Well, like I said, I’m very good at what I do.”

Lena turns away to put her clothes back on, seemingly cool and calm, the opposite of what Kara was feeling right now. “Of course you are,” Lena says with a small chuckle. “I’m not sure why I’m surprised.”

 _That’s makes two of us_ , Kara thinks miserably.

“There are several artists in the world, Kara,” Lena continues. “Millions of them. But I didn’t choose you at random.” Her arm slinks around Kara’s waist as she sidles closer to her, and Kara’s cheeks go hot at the contact. “You do know that, don’t you? It’s important to me that you do.”

Lena’s gentle tone and proximity don’t do anything to calm Kara down; they do the opposite, in fact, and it takes several moments for Kara to find her tongue again. Before she could say anything, however, Lena cuts her off. “We’ll continue this tomorrow morning, bright and early.” She puts her hand to the small of Kara’s back and guides her out of the room. “Goodnight.” The door closes behind Kara, and she’s left alone with a thundering heart inside her chest. She lets out a ragged breath. _What have I gotten myself into?_ With that, Kara makes her way back to the common room, only to discover to her horror that it wasn’t empty: the entire Gilded Dar-Essa is there, and they all turn to look at Kara, who is very clearly coming from Lena’s side of the hotel.

_Well, fuck me._

“Well, well, well,” Lucy says with a sly grin on her face. “Look at what we have here, ladies and gentlemen.”

“Spending time in Lena’s room again, I see,” Alex interjects, taking a sip of her water.

Winn blinks in surprise. “Huh. That is…an interesting development, to say the least.”

“I think you meant to say ‘weird’, Winn,” James says. “Once was an anomaly, twice is a pattern.”

Kara’s face heats up from embarrassment. What the hell does she say to all this? She growls inwardly. She didn’t join the Gilded Dar-Essa to fawn over a pretty woman…who also just happened to be the prettiest woman she’d ever seen…no, she came to make a name for herself and to prove that she belonged there with them. She couldn’t lose focus of the mission, not now, even when thoughts of a dressed-down Lena were still swirling through her brain. With a deep breath, Kara made her way into the room and sat down in a chair across from the rest of the group. “Lena and I were just practicing stuff.”

“What kind of stuff?” Winn inquires, earning a giggle from Lucy.

“If I find out you two were getting it on while I was in the next room, I’m going to kill the both of you,” Alex says, but the smile forming on her face meant she was joking.

“Lena does strike me as the type to need…practice sessions,” Lucy says with a wink in Kara’s direction. “She’s very…meticulous.”

“Hang on, hang on, hang on!” Alex says loudly, waving her hands in the air. “I think we all are missing the big picture here.” She turns towards Kara, cupping her face in one hand and smiling widely at her. “What’s in her room?”

Kara blinks. “You mean you guys really don’t know?” In a way, Kara knew it made sense: if Lena hadn’t even opened up the doors to her room to _her own crew_ , no wonder she’s so cautious around Kara.

“If she wanted us to know, she’d tell us,” James states matter-of-factly.

“My money’s still on hidden sex dungeon,” Alex says a little too excitedly.

Winn rolls his eyes. “Gross, Alex.”

“What? It’s entirely plausible.”

“Well, Winn, what do _you_ think is in there?” Lucy directs the question to the hacker, and suddenly all eyes are on him.

“The skulls of her enemies. Duh.”

“No, nothing like that.”

J’onn’s voice from the other side of the room grabs everyone’s attention, including Kara’s. “She keeps poisonous plants. It’s rather normal otherwise.”

Kara nods. “He’s right.” _I wonder how J’onn only knows the truth. Probably ‘cause he’s the leader._

J’onn gives Kara a curious look. “What _were_ you doing in there, Ms. Danvers?”

Kara swallows nervously; J’onn’s gaze could melt pure steel if it could. “Um, you know. Just heist stuff.”

“Heist stuff?” J’onn repeated, obviously not believing her.

“Yeah. We were, uh, going over how to get the diamonds from Mademoiselle le Marais.”

J’onn leant forward in his seat, his eyes never leaving Kara. “And have you come up with anything substantial yet?”

Kara nods. “I’m going to do a portrait of her to get close to her, so Lena had me practice by drawing her.”

That seemed to satisfy J’onn’s questioning, so he relaxed as the rest of the group dissolved into loud chatter, mostly about their theories of what Lena’s room really looked like despite Kara and J’onn confirming that it was pretty much normal. J’onn didn’t join in on the conversation, instead turning his attention back to Kara. “How are you holding up? Are you and Lena working well together?”

“Yeah,” Kara says. “We get along pretty good for the most part.” _Except for tonight when she left me so hot and cold that it left me feeling used and angry._

“Well, let me know if it gets to be too much,” J’onn says. “I’d rather have you quit than fumble the mission.”

Kara sits up straighter at the thought of both quitting and screwing everything up. “That’s not gonna happen, I promise.” Kara turns around, her eyes finding Lena’s door. “I’m not all that good at giving up.”

 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

 

Kara expected things to be a little tense with Lena after their little spat, but the latter doesn’t bring it up. Neither does Kara, for that matter; she didn’t have the energy and, more importantly, neither of them had the time. Today, Kara would be doing a portrait of Gayle le Marais, and it was important that she doesn’t screw it up. So far, the portrait was going swimmingly. “Can you tilt your head a little this way, ma’am?”

Gayle does as she’s told, and Kara smiles. “Perfect.”

“You were born for the canvas, mademoiselle,” Lena says, playing up the charm. “You’re too beautiful and striking not to be.”

Kara smiles, mostly to herself, as she keeps working. Even though she didn’t like being manipulated like that the other night, she quite enjoyed seeing Lena in her element, playing with other people as if they were mere pieces on a chessboard. It was quite thrilling, if Kara was being honest. Seeing the staggering amount of wealth on display in Gayle’s house did make her feel a little better about stealing from her; however, she did invite both Kara and Lena into her home and was being such a gracious host that Kara still found herself a little torn.

“Now our patron has quite the eye for detail, Kara,” Lena says in an authoritative tone. “Make sure to get everything just right.”

“You got it, boss.” Kara grins as she returns to her work with renewed vigor. While on the job, it was easy for Kara to fall into her role as easy as Lena does; she never had to second-guess everything Lena told her to do anymore or worry about any real emotion slipping through. Still, Kara felt heat rise up in her cheeks whenever Lena touched her, no matter how platonic it was. Nevertheless, she had a job to do and she was going to do it right. “I think my work will speak for itself.”

“It certainly does!” Gayle exclaims. “I was very impressed with the sample your company sent over.”

Kara furrows her brow as she turns to look at Lena. “Which painting did you send?” Did the Dar-Essa send Gayle a painting and tell her that Kara did it?

Lena squeezes her shoulder and smiles proudly. “Your most recent one, of course. I thought your usage of light was rather…inspired.”

Kara nearly drops her brush in shock. _She sent her own artistic nudes to a freaking princess?!_

“Is something the matter?” Lena asks.

Kara dares to sneak a look at her, and finds Lena grinning at her. “No, no! Nothing’s the matter. Just surprised that you would send _those_ paintings, is all.”

Lena just smiles deviously at that, causing Kara’s heart to pound vigorously against her sternum. All of a sudden, Lena’s phone rings. “Excuse me, ladies, I must take this call.” She throws on one of her best 100-watt smiles for Gayle before excusing herself outside, Kara staring after her until she’s out of sight. She’s only brought back to reality when she sees Gayle breaking her pose to cover a giggle with her hand. “Is everything alright? Do you need a break?”

Gayle shakes her head. “No, I’m sorry. It’s just…you two are very cute.”

Before Kara could stammer a response, Gayle shushes her, a friendly smile on her face. “Don’t worry, you weren’t being unprofessional. However, if you are trying to keep it a secret, you should tell her not to caress you every time she’s within touching distance.”

Kara coughs in an attempt to hide her growing blush. “I’ll, uh, I’ll keep that in mind.” With a deep breath, she returns to the portrait, trying not to think about the way Lena’s fingers were touching her body just mere moments ago. She also couldn’t believe that they were so obvious that even their mark could see the chemistry between them.

_And if Gayle can, then what does that mean for Lena and I once this job is done?_


	8. Practice Runs Make Perfect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara has second thoughts about the heist, so Lena shows her just how much of a thief she can be...

“It’s looking nice.”

The velvety voice sends a small tremor rolling down Kara’s back. Lena is standing right behind Kara; close enough to feel, but not enough to touch. Kara turns around to face her: Lena is examining the portrait, her chin in one hand, dressed to the nines as always, and her lipstick as red as a warning light.

_God, she’s so beautiful._

“Thanks,” Kara manages to say. “I worked hard on it.” The portrait of Gayle wearing her jewels looms over them like a shadow, her kind smile shining just as much as the gems she possessed. Even though Gayle’s portrait was more polished and clean, Kara still loved her page full of sketches of Lena. “I wish we didn’t have to do this part, though.”

“I thought you enjoyed painting.”

Kara shakes her head. “No, not that. I mean the whole ruse part. I guess I feel guilty because Gayle is so nice and she’s been nice this entire time.”

Lena sighs knowingly. “Those gems aren’t even hers to begin with. They’re just in her possession until the Society decides it’s time to lock them up in their precious, private vault.”

Kara furrows her brow. “She doesn’t even get to keep them?”

Lena just smiles. “Poor little blue blood. At least she’ll have a portrait to remember them by.”

That makes Kara smile too, if only a little bit. The Dar-Essa would take much better care of the jewels than some dusty old vault. A lightbulb goes off in Kara’s head. “Lena, we know where the jewels are right now, why don’t we just go and take them?”

Lena turns to Kara, her eyes on fire with pride. “Now you’re thinking like a thief. But what separates us from the rest _is_ the ruse. Gayle set herself up for this by making a spectacle of the jewels, so now there will be an audience for our calling card.”

Kara thinks briefly about the pink-petalled flower, the one the group takes their name after, wondering why that was chosen to be their symbol. Her gaze lingers on the portrait and the jewels so vibrant that they seem to be catching the light. Lena drapes her arm around Kara’s shoulders, managing to still be distant despite the physical contact. It made Kara’s heart drop. “One way or another, it all ends this week. The gala hardly seems real right now, and I feel like I’ve barely done anything.”

Lena tuts. “Now don’t be so down on yourself, Kara. Look at you! You have the makings of a great thief, you know.” A catlike smile spreads across her ruby red lips. “In fact, I’m going to prove that to you right now.” She slips a gloved palm in Kara’s own as she leads her away from the painting and out the door.

“Where are we going?” Kara asks.

Lena turns back once to wink at her. “Trust me.”

 

\------------------------------------------------------------------

 

The sun has set by the time Lena takes Kara to the jewelry shop where Gayle’s necklace is being held. Despite no one around, Kara is jittery with nerves, looking from the storefront to Lena. “Are we really taking the jewels now? I thought you said we were going to do the ruse first.”

“Now—now, Kara. We’re just here to make them nervous.” There’s a cold heat simmering beneath Lena’s smile, always there whenever she’s about to do something like this. It was a like a hunger, a voracious appetite that threatens to consume every waking thing in its path until it gets what it wants. It was real, Kara knew…and also very, very hot. “It’s all part of the game. I personally love doing things like this just before a job. It gets the blood pumping.”

“Blood pumping?” Kara’s blood was definitely pumping; whether from nerves or attraction or both, she wasn’t sure.

Lena nods. “Think of this as like a practice run. Follow me.” She sneaks into the back alley and begins scaling the wall, and Kara follows, until they get up to the roof. Lena opens up the hatch with her heel and looks back up at Kara. “Are you ready?”

Gulping, Kara glances down, noticing several red lasers pointing every which way all throughout the small shop. “Um…”

“Hold onto me now.”

Before Kara could protest, Lena grabs a hold of her and secures a nylon rope around the both of them. “Gotta make sure it’s nice and tight so neither one of us falls and sounds the alarm,” Lena says calmly.

“Or to our deaths,” Kara adds, her hands finding purchase on Lena’s shoulders.

That gets a warm laugh out of Lena. “You won’t fall. Do you trust me?”

Kara looks up to meet Lena’s eyes. The emeralds are full of longing and warmth, a sincerity that Kara hardly ever sees in Lena. Lena wants Kara to trust her, but does she?

“I do.”

Lena smiles, and with that, they begin to descend, Kara pressing herself as close to Lena as possible and trying not to scream her head off. She could feel Lena’s heart pounding next to her own, the latter’s excitement counteracting the former’s anxiety. Once they’re on the floor, Kara lets out a sigh of relief. “I love the ground. I love the ground so much.”

Lena chuckles as she disables the alarm. “You did very well. Alex bet you would lose your nerve halfway down.”

“They _what?!_ Why would my own sister bet on me?”

Lena shrugs. “Does it matter? I now have a glitter bomb to add to my collection.” She saunters past where Gayle’s jewels are being held and lifts a completely different necklace. “Take whatever catches your eye. Whatever you take…is yours.”

Kara’s eyes widen. “Really? Are you sure?”

“Of course. We’re thieves, Kara. This is what we do. Besides, they’ll be thankful we didn’t steal Gayle’s trinkets tonight.”

Kara nods and begins to pore over the collections before her.

_What to take? What to take? What to take?_

A solid gold bracelet catches her eye, so she takes it and slides it onto her wrist. The action alone leaves her feeling exhilarated. “What do you think?”

Lena looks up from pocketing a pair of diamond earrings and smiles at her. Kara would do anything to see that smile all the time. “It suits you. Have you gotten everything you wanted?”

Kara wanted to take more, but a voice inside her told her she would be taking plenty at a later date. She nods.

“Then let’s make our grand exit.”

They climb their way out, and Kara couldn’t help the feeling that this was right: the heist, the jewelry, Lena’s pride in her, and the way their bodies were twisted together. It felt like heaven.

 

\-------------------------------------------------------------

 

It doesn’t take long after the robbery that Gayle’s people move her necklace to a more secure location. The news made Lena grin with pride. “Just as I hoped,” she says as she and Kara sit outside a café. She takes a long whiff of her fragrant tea, utterly at peace with the world now that everything was going according to her plan, while Kara nursed a cup of black coffee. “They’re feeling like they dodged a bullet now, so our _actual_ heist will go off without a hitch.”

The reminder of the heist sends nerves shooting off through Kara’s body, knowing it was only a matter of hours before the night of the event.

“Kara, are you okay?”

The sound of Lena’s concerned voice snaps Kara back out of her head and back to reality. “Yeah—yeah, I’m fine. Just fine.”

Lena smiles sympathetically. “It’s okay if you’re feeling nervous. It’s your first heist, after all. How about you and I do something tonight?”

Kara’s ears perk up. “Do something?”

“It’s our last night in Paris, dear. We should celebrate it. What would you like to do?”

 _Our last night…_ Kara’s thoughts begin to drift. _Where will we go after this? Will I even be around for the next heist or will they just send me back to National City?_

“Kara?”

_What will I do once Lena doesn’t need me anymore?_

“Hello?”

_Are they planning to use me as the fall guy after all?_

“Darling?”

Kara snaps back once again to reality, the pure insincerity of the word making her hackles raise. “I really hate it when you call me that,” she blurts out.

Lena just smiles, something Kara wasn’t expecting at her sudden outburst. “Oh, I know. I had to get your attention somehow, though. Now tell me what’s bothering you.”

“I’m just…” Kara sighs. “I’m just sad that this is ending soon.”

Lena slides her chair closer to Kara’s, close enough that their knees bumped against each other. “That’s just what life is. It’s moving from one ending to another, then to another, then to another. But you know what my favorite part about endings are?”

Kara shakes her head. “What?”

“They always lead to new beginnings. A new start.” Lena smiles then, a glimpse of what looked like longing in her eyes staying for a brief moment. “I always look forward to those.”

Kara stares at Lena for the longest time. This is the most vulnerable she’s ever seen Lena that it was jarring, but…it’s also nice knowing that Lena trusts her enough to tell her this, even though it’s not really much. Realizing what she’s doing, Kara looks down at their hands, noticing how the gold on Lena’s ring has a dull spot from how often she rubs it. “Can I tell you what I really want to do on my last night here?”

Lena’s eyes turn back to Kara, a mischievous glint replacing the longing in them. “I’m all ears.”

Kara takes a deep breath. “I want a romantic date where we can watch the sunset from a balcony.”

Lena’s brow shoots up from surprise. “Really?”

Kara nods vigorously to hide her growing blush. “Yup. I want what I want. You can think I’m silly all you like, but it won’t change my mind.”

“I don’t think it’s silly at all. In fact, it’s rather cute. However, I do not have a balcony.” She pauses. “But I do have a rooftop, and a picnic basket. Maybe a bottle of wine if Alex and Lucy haven’t gotten to it yet. Does that sound okay to you?”

A wide smile spreads across Kara’s face. “It sounds perfect.”

That night found the both of them on the penthouse roof, sitting on a blanket covered in Parisian bread and cheese and wine while the sun set below the city. “This is so beautiful,” Kara muses aloud. “I never thought that I would see Paris, that I would either make it in National City or have to move back to Midvale with my family, but I’m glad you and the Dar-Essa picked me up that day.”

“What’s Midvale like?” Lena asks in between sips of her wine. “I’ve never been.”

“It’s beautiful,” Kara replies. “It’s up in northern California where the forest meets the beach. Alex and I would spend all our time down there collecting shells and sharks’ teeth. Sometimes we would find jellyfish washed up on shore, and Alex would use sticks that she found to dissect them.”

“Really?”

Kara nods. “She wanted to be a doctor before she apparently joined the Dar-Essa. I had no idea what happened to her, so now I’m just glad to know she’s okay.”

“She didn’t want to worry you, you know,” Lena says. “She always wanted to call and say she was okay, but J’onn discouraged her from doing so.”

Kara nods, understanding. Alex probably would’ve been traced if she used her cell phone. “Don’t you guys have burner phones?”

“Sometimes, but we’re so good we don’t really need them. Besides, we’re only close with each other. Most of us don’t have family to call.”

“Do you? Have family to call, I mean?”

Lena is silent for several minutes before she speaks again. “I haven’t seen or talked to my family in years, and that’s all you need to know right now.”

“I understand.” Is that why Lena joined the Dar-Essa? To get away from her family?

“Thank you,” Lena says. “That…means a lot to me.”

“I’m not going to pressure you to talk about something you’re not ready to talk about. That’s kind of a dick move.”

Lena laughs. “Yes, it kind of is.”

Kara smiles, wishing that Lena would laugh more like that more often. It was a beautiful sound, a sound that Kara knew she would never grow tired of. “Is it okay if I tell you more stories of my family?”

“That is absolutely okay, Kara. I love hearing about them. Plus, it gives me some ammunition against Alex the next time she teases me.”

It’s Kara’s turn to laugh this time. “Just don’t tell her I told you.”

“Cross my heart.”

The rest of the night is spent with Kara regaling tales of her and Alex’s childhood to Lena, and for the first time in all her time in Paris, Kara felt at peace.

 

\------------------------------------------------------------

 

Kara is awoken the next morning by the sounds of loud clatter in the main room. She sits up, bleary-eyed, to see her sister and Winn tearing through the place like mad men.

“Alex, do you have the—”

“Yeah, man. Catch.” Alex tosses a burner phone to Winn, who catches it in midair without even looking.

“I thought you guys didn’t really use those,” Kara says as she wipes the remaining traces of sleep from her eyes.

“Not always,” Winn says. “This is mine just in case of emergencies.” He shoves half a sandwich at Alex, who takes a bite out of it as she fiddles with her tie. “Don’t worry. You’ll have an earpiece that’s connected to the rest of us, so we’ll be there if you need us.”

Kara nods in thanks just as Lena strolls into the room, looking as fabulous as ever. “And so the day arrives,” the latter coos. She motions for Kara to follow her back to her room, and Kara practically jumps at the chance to. Thankfully, the others don’t seem to notice. Once they’re behind closed doors, Kara speaks. “Are you nervous?”

“Not at all. I worked through my nerves with that practice heist with you.” Her smile is ice-cold and satisfied, yet it burns like fire. “It also convinced me that I made the right choice with you. You have potential, Kara, even though you’re a good girl.”

All the praise coming from Lena’s mouth glues Kara’s tongue to the roof of her mouth for several moments.

“Are _you_ nervous?” Lena asks, her eyes searching Kara’s for something.

Kara finally lets out a huff. “To be honest, the wait is killing me more than anything else. Drawing helps me with that, usually.” An idea burrows its way into Kara’s brain, and just like that, it’s all she’s thinking about. “Would you…mind if I drew you to help pass the time? It’s okay if you aren’t okay with it.”

Lena just laughs. “It’s perfectly fine, though I’m sure my naked chest won’t do much to relax you.”

 _Is it getting hot in here?_ “Not nude!” Kara exclaims before she has the chance to drool. “I just…want you. The way you are now. No posing.”

Something passes over Lena’s face like a shadow, and Kara could swear that she actually looks a little awkward at the thought of not being drawn naked.

_Talk about ironic._

Lena takes a seat next to her plant, fidgeting with her ring before making eye contact with Kara.

_Actually…this does feel more intimate than when I was drawing her naked…_

There are a million unasked questions swimming in Lena’s eyes, so Kara does her best to reassure her. “You’re perfect just like this.”

“I’m not doing anything, though.”

“I know,” Kara says, and she begins drawing. Bit by bit, Lena relaxes, her gaze dropping from Kara’s as her lower lip catches between her teeth. Kara notices the cute detail and turns her focus on that, moving closer to get a better look. “Do you always bite your lip when you’re nervous?”

Lena’s answer is in the form of a bright pink blush, which causes Kara to smile and blush herself.

_That. Is. So. Freaking. Cute. How many people have actually seen Lena like this? No role to play, out of her comfort zone…the real Lena? It’s rather beautiful._

“Can you tilt your head a little?” Kara asks, and Lena does as she is told. “No, like this.” Kara gently grabs the back of Lena’s head and tilts it back so that the light can hit her eyes. They shine like the emeralds they are, and for a moment both women stay like that. It soon hits Kara like a freight train at just how vulnerable this makes Lena, letting Kara pose her without question. She must trust Kara implicitly if she’s letting her touch her like this. All of a sudden, there’s a harsh knock on the door, and Lena flinches away from Kara as if she had been burned.

“Lena!” J’onn’s voice sounds from the other side. “We need you out here.”

“Coming!” Lena responds, gathering herself up and heading towards the door, giving Kara one last look before walking outside.


	9. The Heist...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The night of the heist has finally come, but will everything go according to plan?

Kara bites back a groan as Lena closes the door to her room behind her, leaving the former alone in it. _J’onn, you are the worst!_ She takes this time to gather herself up rather than immediately follow Lena out to the common room, where no doubt the Dar-Essa is gathered, and the temptation to grab one of Lena’s pillows and scream into it is high. With a sigh, Kara realizes that whatever J’onn needed Lena for is probably super important; she’s the one in charge of this heist, after all. A lot is probably weighing on her right now.

Another knock on the door startles Kara, and J’onn’s voice rings out again. “You too, Kara. Quit hiding and come out here. We need to go over the plan.”

Kara quickly remembers herself and bounds outside and into the common room, noticing the big smile on Lucy’s face. It stretches out wider when she sees Kara coming out of Lena’s room. Kara’s face burns with embarrassment, realizing how sketchy it looks that she took longer to leave. Thankfully, no one says a word about it, all their attention focused on J’onn.

“Alex, you and Winn have the charge all set?” he inquires.

“Yep,” Winn answers. “It should go off at the same time when Lena should be able to make the switch.” He holds up their calling card, the pink dar-essa. “This for the necklace.”

“Wait,” Kara says, her brow furrowing. “We’re using a bomb? I thought this was supposed to be a quiet job.”

“Alex is capable of subtlety when the occasion calls for it,” Lena says, giving the explosives expert a pointed look.

“It’s not as flashy as my usual style, but it’ll get the job done,” Alex points out.

“And that’s all we need,” Lena says.

“We hid the canister in the frame of that portrait you drew, Kara,” Winn continues, his face glowing with excitement as the plan comes to fruition. “After the gems are displayed, your piece and the necklace will be taken down as a combined set.” He turns to Lena. “This was a good way of getting something of ours in there, Lena. Well done.”

Lena smiles wickedly. “In all my time, I’ve never known a rich person capable of turning down a portrait.”

Winn returns her smile as James pulls out a map of the venue, one that Kara has seen dozens of times already as Lena’s “assistant”, and lays it on the coffee table. “I’ll be at the extraction point here, but if we need to leave sooner, there will be a getaway car. Okay?” His eyes are on Kara, as if saying it for her benefit instead of everyone else’s, only pulling back when she nods. “Winn will be with me, too.”

“J’onn,” Lena says. “Were you able to get tickets or will I have to pull some strings?”

J’onn pulls out a few small pieces of paper and smiles. “I got them. Alex also needs to be close so she can operate the gas manually, just in case.”

“And do not fear, Kara,” Lucy purrs. “I will be there as well, to swoop to your rescue if the need arises.” She waves her hand and a security badge appears in her palm.

J’onn only frowns at that. “Perhaps she should wait in the helicopter as well. Lena?”

Kara turns to look at Lena, who has, unsurprisingly, shut her out again; however, the latter’s response does surprise her. “I’ll need her next to me, J’onn.”

The leader shrugs. “Very well. The gala starts in three hours. Are we all ready to do this?”

Everyone voices that they are before J’onn’s eyes fall on Kara, silently asking the same question to her. Kara takes a deep breath, puffs out her chest, and nods. “I was born ready. There’s nothing I want more than this.” Kara knew that something would change tonight; she’ll be fire-forged, made anew, with a complete heist under her belt. After tonight, she really will be one of the Gilded Dar-Essa…at least she hoped so.

 

\------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Kara and Lena arrive at the gala early since they were helping Gayle host the event. “Don’t worry, darling,” Lena says to the anxious heiress as they walk through the place, guests starting to trickle in. “I have all of this under control.”

Kara tunes out most of their conversation, feeling a little uncomfortable with all the strangers around her. She wasn’t super-introverted, but everyone here radiated wealth and power, and she would be lying to herself if she didn’t think it wasn’t intimidating. Every dress looked like it cost thousands and every suit is sleek and shining. There’s live music playing in the corner, and almost everyone is in the center dancing. Kara held back a laugh as she noticed how serious Lucy looked hanging out with the rest of security. If her role were different, she would no doubt be smiling and drinking and dancing and charming off the pants of every man and woman in here. Suddenly, Kara hears a familiar voice behind here, where Lena and Gayle are.

“May I cut in?” J’onn asks, a large smile plastered to his face. “I was wondering if the lady would give me the honor of a dance.” The leader of the Dar-Essa is dressed as sharply as everyone else here, but something about him makes him stick out more, and Kara notices how flustered Gayle is getting by his attention.

“Go on, darling,” Lena says encouragingly. “This is your night. You should enjoy it to the fullest.”

With that, Gayle takes J’onn’s outstretched hand and he leads her out to the dance floor, leaving Kara alone with Lena. “Enjoy the spectacle while it lasts,” Lena says dryly as she sidles up to Kara.

Kara couldn’t help but notice how tired Lena looked, but this would soon be over and the both of them would get some well-deserved rest. “The more I look around this place, the less guilty I feel about what we’re going to do.”

Lena hums in agreement. “I thought you might feel that way. You belong with the Dar-Essa, you know. More than you realize.”

The words fill a deep longing inside of Kara, one that she hadn’t dared to name yet. She turns to look at Lena fully. With all the wealth on display, Gayle’s necklace in the center of the room with her giant portrait hanging over it, and all these filthy rich patrons milling about…Lena stood out like a powerful flame, burning and real and hungry. “Sometimes I don’t know if I want you or if I want to be you,” Kara says aloud, but Lena’s mouth remains an unreadable line, her eyes dark as clouds.

“Well, that’s quite the reminder of one way you’re different from the rest of us,” she murmurs. “You’re honest. Very honest, in fact.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

Lena shakes her head. “It’s a breath of fresh air, considering the company I keep. Kara…” She pauses, visibly struggling against saying something, but words pour out of her mouth anyway. “We have some time before your sister’s little gift activates, and I don’t know when we’ll have another opportunity to do this. So…may I have the next dance?”

Kara looks down at Lena’s now outstretched hand before looking back up into her eyes, seeing the same longing that was there a couple nights ago. She smiles. “I would love to.”

Lena returns the smile and they both head out to the dance floor. It had been a while since Kara had last danced, but Lena is as smooth as ever, taking the lead before Kara could trip over her own feet. They sway like that in silence, listening to the music as it swelled and dipped before Lena spoke again. “This is rather nice, don’t you think?” Her voice is barely a whisper, but it makes Kara’s heart flutter all the same.

“This is very nice,” Kara says, giving Lena’s hand a gentle squeeze. “I wish this moment could last longer.”

“Me too.”

Before either woman could say anything more, a loud commotion sounds near the entrance. Kara looked up to see Alex shouting at some of the security, demanding that she’s fine and to let her continue to party.

“That’s our cue,” Lena whispers, and before Kara knows it, she’s being dragged off into a side room, and it isn’t long before they encounter a locked door. Lena picks it quickly and drags Kara into it, revealing it to be one of the service elevators. In the comm hidden in her earring, Kara could hear her sister’s voice drawl out.

“ _Hey, get off of me!_ ”

“ _Okay, lady, I think you’ve had enough champagne for the night,_ ” Lucy’s voice responds.

“ _It takes a lot more than this weak shit to get me pissed._ ”

“ _You’ve had three bottles already!_ ”

“ _Yeah? According to who…I mean whom? Whomst’ve?_ ”

It takes everything within Kara not to burst out laughing at her sister’s antics. _God, I’ve missed you, Alex._

“ _Please, mademoiselle, you are bothering the duchess._ ”

Realizing that the portrait and the necklace will be removed from the room soon, Kara pulls up her hair into a bun and pulls out the pocket watch Alex loaned her to check the time. “The gas should be filling the room right about now.”

“And when we get there…” Lena grins. “No more guards. Just our prize.”

Kara frantically keeps double-checking the watch, wondering when it’ll be fine to go out. “The last thing I need is to pass out on my first heist,” she grumbles to herself.

Lena pats her shoulder consolingly. “Waiting is always the hardest part, but patience is always rewarded.”

Suddenly, Winn chimes in Kara’s ear. “ _Ready? I’ll walk you guys the rest of the way._ ”

Once it’s safe to do so, Lena and Kara work together to unlock the door, the latter trying not to get her hands tangled in the intricate mess of wires.

“ _Don’t worry, they’re all for show,_ ” Winn says reassuringly. “ _A little snip here and there and it’ll be nothing more than scrap metal._ ”

Pretty soon, the door opens up, and inside the guards are passed out on the floor. “Sweet dreams,” Lena says as they walk over them to their prize. Kara pulls out the dar-essa from her bag and passes it to Lena, who makes the swap. Her hands are warm against Kara’s as she hands the jewels back to her. “Good work, Kara,” Lena says, leaning in close and kissing her on the cheek. Trying not to scream, Kara follows Lena back to where the service elevator is, her entire body aflame; nervous, excited, terrified, and more emotions coursing through her bloodstream. “What next?” Kara asks, determined to pull her focus back to the mission.

“We bunker down and find our next target,” Lena replies. “Personally, I think you’ll have fun with this next part.”

Kara smiles, but suddenly, the elevator stops…right before it drops, further and faster from their rescue on the roof. Kara’s stomach flips, but Lena looks as cool as ever as she informs Winn of their situation.

“ _I’m trying to see what I can do,_ ” he speaks into the comm, but Kara could feel the pressure rising in his voice. “ _Elevator’s not hooked up to any kind of system I can override. J’onn’s on his way right now._ ”

At that, Lena tenses up, taking ahold of Kara and shoving her behind her as the elevator doors open up to…

Nothing. Just a dark room. Kara lets out a shaky breath. “Maybe it was just a glitch?”

Lena doesn’t seem convinced. “We’ll have to find another way out of here now. I think we’ll have to take the stairs.” Glancing around, she steps out of the elevator, Kara following suit. Just then, a figure steps close to Lena, pointing a gun directly at her head.

“Lena Luthor. I’m going to suggest very nicely that you stay _right. Where. You. Are._ ”


	10. Staring Down the Barrel of a Gun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara and Lena find themselves in a predicament and all hope seems lost...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last update for this section of Queen of Thieves. There is a season 2 and I'm gonna try to get that out as soon as I can. I hope y'all have enjoyed the Super-Friends' adventures in Paris and will join them for their next one in...you'll wait and see!! Happy Reading! 
> 
> And thank you to @nerdyninja13 for reviewing all these beforehand. You're the best!

Kara’s heart is hammering so hard against her sternum that it threatens to break. She steals a quick glance at Lena, whose face is as calm and stoic as ever, despite having a gun pointed at her by none other than Gayle le Marais. How the hell were they going to get out of this?!

“Gayle,” Lena says, her voice just as calm as her expression. “There must be some mistake. Please, put the gun down.” Tentatively, she reaches out, a small smile on her face as if this can all be solved without bloodshed.

The look on Gayle’s face made Kara unsure about that, not to mention that the raw iron in her voice left her more confused than afraid. “Don’t move. Don’t move a single muscle.”

 _She’s like a completely different person,_ Kara thought. She freezes in place just as Lena does, her hand retreating back to its original place. “Alright,” she says. “Just try to be careful of where you point that thing. You don’t want there to be an accident, do you?”

Gayle only smiles as she begins to circle the both of them, the sight sending a chill down Kara’s spine. “There won’t be one because I have everything exactly where I want it. Or…at least, I will soon.” Her eyes drop down to the bag in Kara’s hands and the look in her eyes hardens. “Give me the jewels.”

Kara gulps, her hands trembling from fear, but the sound her voice makes is as hard as stone. “No.”

_Bang!_

The gunshot was deafening, but thankfully, no one was hurt. Nevertheless, a small scream of fear escapes Kara’s lips as she clutches the bag closer to her chest.

“The next one won’t miss,” Gayle says warningly, cocking the gun once more.

Lena’s mask drops then like a sack of bricks, anger sparking up her eyes like lightning. “Kara, don’t do anything she says. Gayle doesn’t have the spine to pull something like this off.” Her gaze levels back to Gayle. “You’re just stalling until security comes, aren’t you?”

Gayle laughs and shakes her head. “No one is coming. Now…give me the jewels, and I’ll let the both of you walk out of here as free women.”

Kara blinks in incredulous surprise. _I’m sorry, what?_ “You’re…not even mad at us for trying to steal these from you?”

The heiress throws her head back and laughs even harder, her grip on the gun loosening slightly but only just. “Why would I, sweet thing? You’re the perfect cover for me to steal them for myself!” Her soft features, which Kara had once thought to be as smooth as porcelain, now hardened into something as harsh as the diamonds she was holding right now. “What you are holding is _my_ inheritance. They belong to me. I _deserve_ to own those. Can you imagine the frustration of being trapped in all these political games and dances with my own family heirlooms? Learning of what is rightfully supposed to be mine only to be told that they’ll be locked away in some vault, some museum, before the month is even over! ‘A piece of history’,” she says, mocking what others have probably told her about the jewels. “That it is, but it’s a piece of _my_ history! It’s a sick joke to display them proudly for everyone to see, to let everyone know that not even I am not to own them. Do you have any idea on how _humiliating all of this is?!_ ”

Kara is stunned silent at her words, wondering not only how this situation turned around so quickly on them, but also how a grown and poised woman such as Gayle can act so childish and petulant. Pretty soon, her fear dissolves into anger at the thought of getting mugged by a spoiled brat.

Lena, however, has been and is still remaining focus on the gun. “So you knew who I was this whole time, then?”

“Not at first,” Gayle admits. “But you shouldn’t be too mad, Lena. After all, I was only playing a role, just like you were. And no one expects sweet, young, innocent Gayle to rebel against her perfect life. Now give me the bag or this bullet will find a home in your skull.”

Despite Gayle’s threat, Kara stands firm, clutching the bag even tighter to her. She wasn’t going to let Lena down. “Not gonna happen, princess.”

Gayle just sighs. “So your loyalty to Lena isn’t feigned after all. Very well. Let’s try this again, shall we?” With one fluid motion, Gayle points the gun at Kara’s face, directing her next comments to Lena. “Tell Kara to give me the jewels, Lena, or she dies. I know she’ll listen to you, and I _know_ you’re more worried about her than yourself.”

Lena remains silent, but her green eyes are awash with several emotions that flicker in and out before Kara could get a read on them. Nevertheless, even while staring down the barrel of a gun, Kara believes in Lena. She knows that she’ll do the right thing, or at least anything that will help them get out of this situation.

Kara isn’t prepared for what Lena actually does.

“Listen to her, Kara,” Lena says, her voice low and thick.

Kara manages a sideways glance at Lena. “Wait, what? Lena, are you—”

“I can do a lot of things, but I can’t beat a gun at point blank range.”

“But—!”

“Just do it, Kara.” Lena’s voice is as harsh as a blade, her green eyes a maelstrom of emotions, and Kara could see this was hard for her to do. Numbly, Kara walks towards Gayle and sets the box holding the jewels at her feet. Gleefully, Gayle picks it up before motioning for Kara and Lena to get out of the elevator, the gun still trained on both of them. “Enjoy the rest of the party…darling,” Gayle says with a sick smile on her face as the elevator doors close between them.

Just then, J’onn arrives, sprinting up to both of them with a fearful expression in his eyes. “Are you two alright?”

Neither Kara nor Lena speak, both too caught up in the events that just transpired. Kara looks at Lena and the defeat in her eyes; the sight breaks Kara’s heart into a million pieces. All of that work for nothing…what were they going to do now?

 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

The news of the Gilded Dar-Essa’s “latest feat” has already broken by the time the group return to the penthouse, everyone stone silent as they gather around Winn’s laptop to read the reports. Kara felt sick to her stomach reading them; the rest of the world thinks it was another success, but deep down she knew the truth.

“At least we got to enjoy some fine wine and dancing,” Alex says, clearly trying to lift the mood.

“You did,” Winn bites back. “ _I_ was stuck in a van for five hours.”

“I thought stuffy society events weren’t your scene.”

Winn sighs heavily, resting his chin on a palm. “So Gayle gets to keep her own goddamn necklace while all we get is the blame. I guess that works out evenly…somehow…maybe…ah, who am I kidding? This sucks.”

Even Lucy is in a foul mood. “We were _conned_. Played by our own game, it’s shameful!” She turns to look at Lena, who is the most crestfallen of the group. “I should have been there to help. I know you don’t like guns, but…”

Lena holds a hand up to stop Lucy from talking any further, and the both of them fall back into stoic brooding.

Out of the entire group, James is the one who remains the most secure, like a large life raft in the middle of a violent ocean. “Let’s try and focus on the positives. We didn’t lose anyone tonight. Lena and Kara weren’t hurt. There will be other heists, and we won’t win every time.”

J’onn hums; unlike everyone else, he’s standing a little ways away, not watching the news report of the Dar-Essa’s alleged crime. Instead, he stares out the hotel window, fidgeting with the straps on his leather gloves. Lena is the first to break the silence towards him. “Are you going to be okay, J’onn?”

The leader just smiles briefly before going back to staring out the window. “This feels wrong. We did all of the work and public assumes that we won. On paper, it’s another victory for the Gilded Dar-Essa. No money was lost considering we weren't planning on selling those jewels…”

A pit formed in the bottom of Kara’s stomach. Even J’onn was torn up about this loss, even if he was trying to make light of it. There had to be something she could do, something they could do, to make this all right. “Maybe we can still fix this…?”

Everyone is silent, and Lena just shakes her head. “We were overconfident.” That’s all she says before going back to quiet, rubbing that spot on her ring the only movement she made. Kara hated seeing Lena’s fire so muted, but there was nothing she could do about it, which she hated even more.

J’onn speaks up again. “More than being overconfident, we fell for our own con, thinking we were untouchable.” He turns his attention to Lena. “And you might have…had a blind spot.”

Both of their eyes fall on Kara, and the pit in Kara’s stomach grows tenfold. However, neither of them say anything nor do they blame Kara for getting in their way or ruining the heist. After a while, Lena excuses herself and makes her way back to her room.

“Everyone, take the day to recover,” J’onn says. Even he sounds tired, Kara notices. “I can’t imagine any of you are feeling better than I am.”

“Yeah, I feel like I just got punched in the throat, if I’m being honest,” Alex says dully.

One by one, the Gilded Dar-Essa disperses, with Winn being the last one to leave, shaking his head in disappointment. “Guess there’s always next time,” he says, but there’s no trace of lightness or humor in his tone.

Kara sinks back into the couch, feeling just as defeated as everyone else. _All of this is my fault. If I hadn’t given the jewels to Gayle, the Dar-Essa would have them now._ But Kara quickly realizes that either she or Lena, or possibly even both, would have a bullet in them if she hadn’t. It was really a lose—lose situation in hindsight. Kara sighs, putting her head in her hands. There was nothing she could’ve done and there was nothing she could do now to make this all better. Laying down, she decides to try and get a few hours of sleep in the remaining time before dawn, even though the last thing she wanted to do right now was sleep.

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------

 

When Kara awakes next, the hotel is dark and quiet, everyone else in their own rooms sound asleep. She lets out a lamenting sigh. _Now what?_ She thought. The heist, if one could even call it that, was now over, and there was nothing to be done about it. The thought of what Gayle did to them made Kara’s blood boil, but what use was there being angry? Frustrated, Kara threw off the covers and headed up to the roof, craving fresh air and wanting to see the sunrise glowing over Paris. _Just in case I never get to see it again._ When Kara arrived, however, she discovered she wasn’t the only one.

“Good morning, Kara,” Lena says in greeting. She was still wearing the clothes from last night and there’s a tired look in her eyes. It didn’t look like she had gotten any kind of rest at all last night, and Kara’s heart sank.

“How…how are you holding up?” Kara asked tentatively.

“Fine,” Lena replies, albeit a little curtly. “I’ve been through worse. My pride was the only thing that was injured last night, thankfully.”

Kara couldn’t take it anymore. “None of this is your fault. It’s mine. I was a distraction, a blind spot like J’onn said.”

Lena furrows her brow in confusion. “Kara, what are you talking about? You did your job perfectly, and I couldn’t be more proud of you.”

The words strike a chord in Kara, filling her heart up to the brink with warmth that she didn’t know was missing until just now.

“If anyone is at fault here, it’s me,” Lena continues. “I should’ve known that our cover was compromised or at the very least that it could be. If Gayle had only been interested in taking _us_ down rather than the jewels…” She trails off, casting her gaze over the city just as the dawn comes, burning a hazy, swollen, and heavy red. “The first thing my mentor ever taught me was to never lose control of a situation, and I did that last night.” Lena pauses. “In my line of work, control is everything…as I learned when I finally broke free from my mentor’s. But somehow, I forgot.”

Kara shakes her head firmly. “You can’t be in control all the time, Lena.

Lena smiles weakly, and Kara feels like she may have well just slapped her. “Yes…evidently so.”

“I didn’t mean it like that. I mean…” Kara exhales. She hated seeing such a vibrant group, and a vibrant woman, so defeated. She had to do something. “You know what? We’re not leaving like this. The Gilded Dar-Essa is infamous. You guys always get what you want.” Kara steps forward, taking Lena’s hands in her own and squeezing them tight, much to the other woman’s surprise. “The apologies stop now. It’s time to get even.”

“What are you talking about?”

Kara smirks, excitement bubbling up in her chest. “What do you say to one last heist together?”


	11. One Last Heist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara and the Dar-Essa decide to exact revenge and take back what is rightfully theirs...

Lena looks at Kara curiously, but there is a hint of a mischievous glint in her eye. “What exactly do you propose?”

“Exactly what I said,” Kara replies. “Another heist.”

Lena scoffs, but can’t hide her growing smile. Kara had missed that smile; it was so nice to see it again. “Kara, the entire city knows that we’re here. Security will be increased in every major institution and home worth stealing from.”

“And?”

A little airy laugh escapes Lena’s throat as she links her fingers with Kara’s, almost experimentally, guilty even; like she isn’t supposed to be touching her, but can’t fight off the instinct to. “You already have something in mind, don’t you?”

Kara nods so excitedly that it feels like she may burst. “The only person who knows the truth about last night is Gayle, and we know _exactly_ where she lives. What’s she going to do? Report a robbery on something she doesn’t even technically own?”

Lena raises an eyebrow, but her mouth forms into a thin line. “It’s not the authorities I’m afraid of. I’ve been…more distracted than usual lately.” She bites her lip. “How can I ask everyone to trust me when I already failed them? Last night was a close call, luck won’t save us again.”

“You don’t need luck, Lena. You just need to be the best.” Kara beams. “And luckily for us, you already are.”

Lena’s cheeks turn bright pink at the praise, and Kara smiles even wider at the sight. “And I’ve got your back on this one, too. I’m in this one hundred—no, _two_ hundred percent.”

“Why? Why are you doing this?”

Kara doesn’t say anything right away, biting her lip instead. Pushing her luck, she steps further into Lena’s space and wraps her arms around her, pulling Lena into a tight hug. “Because I want to be one of you.” _And maybe also want to be with you._

Lena freezes, her hands going out as if she doesn’t quite know where to put them. Kara knew that Lena kept a distance from everyone, even the people she was closest with and cared most for, so Kara didn’t know if she even stood a chance of being close with her, but she wanted—no, she needed Lena to know that she’s not alone in this and that she’ll never be alone. After a few moments, Lena returns the hug, wrapping her arms around Kara’s neck; in that moment, Kara felt like she could fly.

“You really do have the heart of a thief,” Lena murmurs, and Kara could hear the smile in her voice. “You get past all my defenses somehow, and yet…I don’t think I care.”

Kara’s heart leapt up into her throat at the confession. “What can I say? I’m a quick study. It helps that I have a good teacher.”

“Being a teacher’s pet fits you, somehow.”

Kara rolls her eyes, but smiles. “Well, I learned a lot from you and I think we work well together. Don’t you think so?”

Lena nods. “I do. It’s quite hard to ignore the chemistry we have.”

 _Don’t blush, don’t blush, don’t blush, don’t blush!_ “That’s, ah, very true,” Kara says, thankful that she and Lena are on the same page. It would’ve been quite awkward if they weren’t; everyone else noticed, so it would be strange if Lena, a woman who pretty much notices everything, didn’t. “Besides…” Kara backed away first, grinning as she held up Lena’s cellphone. “I still have a bit left to learn.”

Lena gasps in shock, her eyes widening by several margins that Kara couldn’t help but burst into a giggle fit as the former snatches her phone back. “You…you thief!”

“I thought that I was training to be one?” Kara asks with a knowing smirk on her lips. “Wasn’t that supposed to be the whole point of this?”

“Still, you used my own tricks against me!”

“Whatcha gonna do about it?”

There is nothing innocent or platonic about the way Lena looks at Kara then. “Things that would absolutely _scandalize_ a good girl like you.”

_Oh…fuuuuccckkk…_

“But first…” Lena wraps an arm around Kara’s waist and pulls her closer. “We’re going to pay sweet Gayle a visit.”

“We’re gonna get the jewels back?”

Lena nods, and Kara throws herself into Lena’s arms, squeezing the ever-living life out of her. And the best part…Lena was hugging her back just as hard. “But we won’t just be taking the jewels, Kara. We’re going to rob that girl blind.”

With one last burst of glee, both women head back into the penthouse to inform the rest of the Gilded Dar-Essa about their plan. Well, mainly J’onn.

“So let me get this straight,” J’onn says, his brow creased. He’s sitting on the edge of the couch, one leg crossed over the other. He sets the cup of tea he was nursing down on the coffee table before he continues. “You want us to get revenge. Infiltrate a location that isn’t as secure as our first target in the middle of a city that knows we’re here and is on high alert for us. No preparation, no inside contacts, and no solid avenue of escape.” J’onn’s cat leapt up onto the couch and curled up on his lap, purring as J’onn began to pet him. “Does that sound about right?”

Kara and Lena share a look. “That sums it up,” the latter says.

Bit by bit, J’onn’s sour expression shifts into that of a gleeful grin. “Oh, there is no way I am turning this down.”

With J’onn’s vocal approval, the rest of the Dar-Essa are summoned into the common room, their expressions also taking on the same tone as J’onn’s at Kara and Lena’s plan. Winn had already taken out his laptop while the others were talking, typing away furiously until he found what he was looking for. “I found the security company where Gayle hires all her guards from. Turns out they also have all their clients’ info because of course they do.” Winn’s lips spread into a massive grin. “Now I know every detail of Gayle’s house, up, down, left, right, and I can disable all the alarms.”

“Gives us some time before the police arrive,” Alex pipes up. “Assuming that no one uses their cellphone.”

“I’m a hacker, not a magician,” Winn retorts, shooting a glare Alex’s way. “I can’t stop someone from reporting what they see.”

“There’s a simple solution to that,” Lucy interjects. She plucks a rose from the vase on the table, inhaling deeply. Kara rolls her eyes; even with all the time she’s spent with the group, she didn’t ever think she would get used to Lucy’s dramatics. Suddenly, with a flick of her wrist, the rose vanishes. “We just make sure there is nothing for wandering eyes to see.”

“How…” Kara rubs her eyes, wondering if she really saw what she saw. “How did you do that?”

“Do what?” Lucy reaches over and tucks a golden strand of hair behind Kara’s ear. When she pulls back, Kara suddenly felt the weight of the flower resting on her ear.

“Years of disreputable practice,” Lena muses.

Lucy smirks. “And every one of them has served you well, don’t you forget that.”

Lena does her best to look unimpressed, but Kara sees her biting back a smile. She didn’t blame her; they were all excited about this.

“What are we planning for a distraction?” J’onn asks.

“I can get a news van, no problem,” James answers. “Shall we create some news?”

“Ooh,” Lena purrs. “That’s not a bad idea.”

“This’ll draw the attention away from us, right?” Kara asks.

J’onn grins at her. “You do catch on fast, don’t you?”

Under the table, Lena’s hand finds Kara’s, giving it a little squeeze of affection. Kara squeezes back, trying to bite back her own smile and failing miserably. Luckily, no one else seems to notice; they were all still talking strategy.

“I’ve got some quieter stuff here that’ll melt through any safe,” Alex was saying. “It’s not super flashy, but it’s not subtle, either.”

J’onn produces a pink dar-essa from his pocket and spins it slowly in the low lamplight. “It would be rude to our host if we didn’t bring a gift ourselves.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Lena says, sitting up a little straighter as Alex pours Kara a cup of coffee.

“Drink up, sis, you’re gonna need this.”

“Got any food to go with this?”

“I think we could all go for something right now,” Lena says, standing up and stretching slightly. “Got to make sure my crack team is well fed. Any requests?”

“Beeeeer!” Alex drawls out, cupping her hands over her mouth to make a megaphone.

“ _Actual_ food, Alex.”

Alex is silent for a bit, her brow arched in thought. “Croisaaaaaaaants!”

Winn’s ears perk up. “I’ve got a craving for those, too.”

James stretches, raising a hand up over his head. “I need something sweet myself. Need all the sugar I can get.”

“Would chasson au pommes do the trick?” Lena asks.

That earns a wide grin from James. “You always have the best ideas, Lena.”

She turns to look at Kara expectantly. “Would you like to come with me, Kara? I’ll need some help carrying it all back.”

The way she says it…Kara knew Lena didn’t need any help at all; she just wanted some alone time with her. Kara’s heart leapt up into her throat. “Yeah, sure! Let’s go!”

With that, Kara and Lena head out to one of the local bakeries to retrieve the mountain of food for the Dar-Essa. The walk there and back was silent, but Kara didn’t mind. Just seeing the smile on Lena’s face and the way she had relaxed since early this morning was enough to make her happy. She couldn’t wait until the heist.

 

\------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Kara stood in front of Gayle’s house the very next day, all alone and trembling ever so slightly as she knocked on the door. The heiress opens the door, looks Kara over once, and, surprisingly, lets her in.

“Um, hi,” Kara starts. “Thanks for not calling the cops.” She sits down on the edge of her chair, completely uncomfortable in the situation, but this whole plan was riding on her being able to act and act well. _Besides, being uncomfortable will just add to my cause,_ Kara thought. _Better she know I’m nervous than the other option._

“I might change my mind upon that, depending on what you say next,” Gayle says, her posture perfectly poised as her eyes remain locked on Kara. “This should prove to be amusing either way.”

“I’m so sorry!” Kara blurts out. “I’m so, so, so sorry for everything, Gayle. You don’t have to forgive me or anything, but I just had to—I needed to tell you in person or I just couldn’t live with myself.”

Gayle’s gaze only hardens. “I hope you do realize that this does not absolve you.”

Kara nods frantically. “I know it doesn’t, but…” _What to say next?! Um…ooh! I got it!_ “I got in over my head and Lena…she took advantage of me and used me. I don’t know what I expected when the Gilded Dar-Essa asked for my help, but I didn’t sign up for _this!_ The truth is that I…” Kara thinks back to her earlier conversation with Lena this morning, about telling the truth as much as possible, and without thinking, Kara does exactly that. “I adore her.” Kara gasps softly at the admittance, and her eyes begin to prickle as she becomes overwhelmed. “I knew I did from the moment I met her, so when she said she needed my help, I didn’t question it. I did everything she asked of me. I just…I just wanted her to return my feelings. More than that, I wanted to become someone I liked myself. I wanted to be strong and cool and confident…like her! But what we did…” Kara sighs. “What we did was wrong. And now she’s gone and I’m all alone and you’re the only person I know who I can ask for help. Once she lost the necklace, she and the others skipped town, but…”

Gayle makes a frustrated groan and motions for Kara to stop. “Enough, enough. You’re a very compelling actress, I’ll give you that much, but it will take much more than crocodile tears to fool me.”

Kara closes her eyes, more tears spilling down her cheeks. They weren’t fake anymore, but that didn’t matter now, did it? Nevertheless, she stands up and wipes them away, taking in a shuddering breath as she does so. “I’m sorry, I should just go.”

With that, Gayle’s face morphs into a vicious snarl. “You really think I’m a complete imbecile, don’t you? Or you are one yourself. You’re not going anywhere, especially since you’re obviously playing decoy for something else.”

Just then, a servant came in, swooping down to whisper something into Gayle’s ear. She whispers something back and the man leaves as quickly as he entered. “If you’re trying to get the jewels back, your companions will find them much better guarded this time around.” She scoffs. “Not that they’ll find them at all. I keep them where they rightfully belong. Right here…with me.”

She reaches into her purse, slowly pulling out…


	12. Endings Lead to New Beginnings...Don't They?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With their time in Paris coming to a close, Kara wants to know where she and Lena stand...

Gayle reaches into her purse, but freezes, her eyes widening a hair in shock. Kara just watches the heiress as she rifles around in her bag, moving things around until her hand finally emerges.

In her trembling fist is a small pink dar-essa.

“You!”

Gayle’s voice is like venom, so harsh that Kara almost takes a step back. Almost. “Hmm, that’s weird. You know, you shouldn’t keep super valuable stuff in your purse.” She draws the necklace out from her pocket, holding it within her palm. It glitters in the light like a thousand stars; it could fetch a pretty price, but nothing was as priceless as the look on Gayle’s face.

“What…how…when…?”

Kara shrugs. “Pretty much the second you turned around to talk to your butler or whoever that was, but if it’s any consolation, I was actually looking for the keys to your car. I’ll take this instead, though. Thanks!” Kara pockets the necklace again, smiling wickedly. “You were right that I was playing decoy, but it wasn’t the jewels we were going after first. Right now as we speak, every single property you own is being pilfered from rooftop to basement.”

Gayle immediately gets to her feet, standing so fast that her chair clatters. “ _SECURITY! Someone help!_ ” She grabs her cellphone out of her purse and dials a number, her eyes never leaving Kara’s for one second. Kara watches curiously as it rings…and rings…and rings…until finally, the line goes dead. Kara smirks. _Gonna be a little tough getting a signal here. Way to go, Winn!_

Suddenly, the doors are flung open, followed by sharp men’s shoes clicking on the marble floor. Sighing with relief, Gayle turns to face them, only to freeze once more when she comes face-to-face with Lucy and J’onn. “Kara,” the latter says. “It’s time to go.”

“Your security is a little tied up at the moment, mademoiselle,” Lucy says to Gayle. “Apologies for the inconvenience.”

All of the blood drains from Gayle’s already pale face.

“Don’t worry,” Kara quickly says. “We don’t hurt people. That’s not how the Gilded Dar-Essa does things, so be sure to spread the word, okay?”

Gayle’s face contorts with an equal mix of fear and rage, leaving her entire complexion as red as a tomato. “You won’t get away with this!”

Kara just shrugs, grinning from ear to ear as she joins J’onn and Lucy. “We already did.” They turn around to leave, J’onn and Lucy flanking Kara on either side as Gayle screams with rage behind them.

“ _You’re nothing! Do you hear me?! You’re trash! Worthless! And you know it!_ ”

Kara just shakes her head and smiles just as James’s car squeals up to the front gate. They quickly make their way past the incapacitated guards to the car, where Lena is waiting inside. The second her eyes find Kara’s, she smiles brightly, both hands extended. “Let’s go!”

Once everyone is piled into the rest of the open seats, James takes off like a speeding bullet. Kara is thrown back partially into Lena’s lap, and the other woman catches her in surprise. “Careful,” she says, the smile still on her face. “We don’t want you getting hurt now that the hard part is over with.”

Kara beams. “This was actually the easiest thing I’ve ever done.” She produces the necklace for Lena, whose eyes widen and Kara could swear she heard her breath catch in her throat. Suddenly, she’s being pulled into the most crushing hug of her life. “How?!”

“I pickpocketed her!” Kara explains excitedly. “It’s pretty much instinct now. Didn’t I tell you I pick up new things quickly?”

That elicits a laugh from Lena. She grabs Kara’s face enthusiastically, kissing her forehead in delight. “You’re wonderful.”

Kara’s mouth hangs open from excitement and dizziness, and she holds onto Lena tightly as James speeds them back to the hotel.

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Things cool down a little bit once everyone gets back to the hotel, but spirits are still high as the members excitedly share their spoils. There was an entire assortment of jewels along with the necklace Kara got, along with every scrap of gold Gayle had in her house, now safely locked away with the rest of the Dar-Essa’s Parisian treasures.

“I’m not one for necklaces, but…” Winn holds up a shiny necklace of his own, examining himself in a mirror. “I might hold onto this one.”

“It really suits you!” Kara exclaims. “And it suits your, uh, suit!”

Winn just stares at her, an eyebrow quirked in amusement. “Eloquent. Good thing we didn’t hire you for your writing skills.”

Kara blushes, knowing that Winn is going easy on her after he smiles at her, until a cold hand touches the back of her neck and a familiar scent washes over her.

“See anything you like?” Lena’s voice is like velvet, making Kara shiver from head to toe.

“I got everything I wanted,” she replies. “The rest is all yours since you all did the hard work.”

Lucy snickers. “After you gave Lena a kick in the butt, sure.”

Lena shrugs, not disputing the statement.

Soon, the time for the real celebration comes. The Dar-Essa heads to a little café nearby, ordering almost everything off the menu. After a while, the tiny tables are groaning with small dishes topped with meat, cheese, and freshly baked bread, all of the scents filling Kara’s nose and filling her up with delight. Lucy grabs her glass, lifting it up and raising it to Kara. “To the lady of the hour!”

“Here, here!” Alex raises her own glass, smiling. “Here’s to my baby sister kicking us in the ass when we were ready to mope around and be miserable.”

“Here, here!” chimes in James, and a chorus of “Here, here!” and “Thank you’s” pop up from the group and are directed towards Kara. She looks down to cover her growing blush; she had never been toasted before in her life, so this was all new to her. Before she could get any more flustered, Lena rests her hand on Kara’s lap. Almost instantly, Kara goes still; all the Dar-Essa’s attention is on her, but now all of her attention is on Lena.

“When you succeed as often as we do, failure can be a hard pill to swallow,” Lena explains softly, her hand never leaving Kara’s knee. She looks up to meet Kara’s eyes, her green irises glowing in the low light. “So yes. Thank you.”

Kara blushes even harder now, but manages a small smile. “Well…we learn best from failure, or something like that.”

J’onn huffs. “That sounds like a miserable process, but I can’t argue with the results.”

Kara smiles bigger now. She truly felt like she was a part of this group…a part of this family. Maybe, just maybe, she really was. The sound of Winn and Alex bickering got her attention.

“Don’t rush me, I’m still deciding!”

“Deciding what?” Kara asks Winn, who’s still scrolling on his phone. He doesn’t look up when he responds.

“Where we’re going next. J’onn and I narrowed it down to these three places.” He tilts his phone slightly so Kara could see. The locations were Spain, Italy, and Russia; all places that were on Kara’s travel bucket list. “Got a preference, Kara?”

There was no doubt in Kara’s answer. “Italy! I’ve always wanted to go to Rome and see the coliseum and make a wish in the Trevi Fountain! Legend has it that if you throw two coins in, you’re bound to fall in love!”

Winn just nods thoughtfully, leaving Kara to blush at her sudden outburst. It’s not her fault she was such a romantic, and Italy was just as romantic as France!

_Wait…does that mean I’m officially going with them?_

The alcohol and food and company already had Kara in high spirits, but this sudden positive news practically had her flying out of her seat and into the dark, night sky.

_I’m one of them. I’m really one of them!_

As Kara begins to fantasize about her next adventures with the most notorious secret group in Europe, she notices Lena slipping away. She’s not the only one.

“Leaving so soon?” Lucy calls after Lena.

Lena turns around as if she’s been caught doing something she shouldn’t be, but she smiles innocently. “It’s been a long few days, so I thought I’d turn in early.”

Winn chuckles to himself. “She’s gotta do her fifteen step bedtime beauty routine.”

Alex’s eyes widen significantly. “Ohhhh, so that’s what she keeps in her room! Three dozen bottles of face lotion. Brewed from toxic plants, of course.”

“Of course!” Lucy joins in. “That’s where she gets all her power!”

Lena just shakes her head and laughs. “Mmhmm. And I’ll need help applying them all.” Her gaze falls on Kara. “Kara, won’t you come help me?” She leans in to whisper so only Kara could hear her next words. “I’ll need an extra set of hands for all those…difficult to reach spots.”

_Oh sweet mother of fuck have mercy on my pour gay soul…_

…But as much as Kara wanted to, she knew she couldn’t handle it right now. She was hazy from the champagne and getting too handsy with Lena would just leave them feeling uncomfortable and awkward, and Kara didn’t want Lena to feel either of those things with her. “Um, I think I’m just going to stay here if that’s okay.”

“That’s perfectly okay,” Lena says, although Kara could swear she saw a hint of hurt in Lena’s eyes, though it was only there for a moment. “It’s your loss, though, it’s a sight to behold.” Pressing a hand to Kara’s cheek for a long moment, Lena leaves soon after, the warmth lingering on Kara’s face long after she departs.

 

\------------------------------------------------------------------

 

With all the adrenaline buzzing through Kara’s system, she knew she wasn’t going to be able to get any sleep any time soon, so she tries to kill the time she had left in Paris. She packed and repacked the few things she had, and even tried on the outfit that Lena stole for her, examining herself in the mirror as excited thoughts swarm through her head. She was leaving Paris tomorrow…with the Dar-Essa…flying with them to their next adventure, and Kara couldn’t be more ecstatic.

_I should go over our plans with Lena…_

…At least that’s the excuse Kara gives herself as she tiptoes over to her door, knocking lightly.

Lena sounds off from the other side. “Come in.”

Kara does so, peaking in and finding Lena seated at her vanity. “I didn’t even say it was me, or who it was for that matter. Were you finally going to let someone else in your room?”

Lena’s reflection watches Kara intently, a knowing smile on her face. “I could tell it was you by the way you knocked.”

Kara shuts the door behind her lightly, remembering why she came in here in the first place. “I, uh, I wanted to ask about our next heist.”

Lena’s smile grows into a smirk, turning around to face Kara fully. “Well, never let me be one to say that you weren’t eager for this. We still need to decide that as a group, though.”

“And I’m part of that process, right?”

A soft inhale breezes past Lena’s lips as she starts to say something, but at the last minute she swallows it back down. “Are you sure you want more of this life, Kara?”

Kara nods. “Yes. I do want more.”

“Even the bad parts?”

The memory of Gayle pointing her gun between Kara’s eyes flashes before her, but Kara still nods, albeit tightly. “I do want more,” she says more firmly this time, stepping towards Lena. “My whole life, I’ve wanted more. That’s why I came with you. I want to be more like you.”

Lena’s smile is gentle as she closes the distance between them, cupping Kara’s face in her soft hands. Her eyes narrow as if trying to understand Kara better. “Kara…you don’t know anything about me. Unlike you, I’ve never had a choice. This is how I’ve always lived.” Her breath is low and warm as she speaks again. “And…it’s hard to do…normal things, when you’re like me. I haven’t been close to a woman in a very long time.” She pauses. “Do you want me to be honest with you, Kara? Truly honest?”

“Of course, Lena. Always.”

Several moments of silence pass between them before Lena speaks again, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’m frightened.”

Kara furrows her brow. “Why are you frightened? I’m not going to hurt you, Lena. I never will, I promise.”

Lena rubs a thumb over Kara’s cheek, and the latter melts into the contact. Ever so slowly, Lena guides Kara closer and kisses her, soft. A choked gasp escapes Kara’s throat. Winding her hands around Lena’s neck, Kara opens her mouth and deepens the kiss.

_I want more. I need more._

“You don’t need to be scared of me,” Kara says after they break apart.

Lena pulls back first, looking at Kara as if what she had said had just broken her heart. “You still don’t understand, darling.”

Kara’s vision begins to blur suddenly, Lena’s face getting fuzzier and fuzzier by the second. “Lena…?”

“I’m afraid I’m going to hurt _you_.”

The last thing Kara sees is red, crimson as blood and as bright as a stoplight…red like Lena’s lips on hers…

 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------

 

The throbbing in Kara’s head woke her up. “Ugh. Did I drink too much at the party?” She gathers in her surroundings: she was in Lena’s room, specifically Lena’s bed, the sheets gently tucked over her. She was still wearing her clothes from last night, even her leather jacket.

_Did Lena tuck me in? I think I vaguely remember that…_

The room is completely empty, no sign or trace of Lena anywhere…except for a flight ticket and passport on the desk next to the bed. It was one ticket back to National City with Kara’s name on it. Kara stares at it in blank shock. Memories of last night start to come back to her: she remembers the feeling of Lena’s lips on hers, the taste of her lipstick…her _red_ lipstick…

Kara shoots up to her feet at the realization and sprints into the main room. “Hello? Lena? J’onn?” She goes and knocks on his door, but there’s no answer. Banging harder, Kara begins to shout. “Is anyone here? Winn? Lucy?” She goes to each and every door, checking every room. “Alex! James! Anyone!”

_Empty, empty, empty. Hell, even the cat is gone!_

Defeated, Kara sinks down onto the couch, burning with sorrow, anger, and shame.

 _They left me,_ Kara thought bitterly. _After everything, they left me! And after all Lena’s talk about having a choice and making one, she stripped that away from me too._

Rubbing her eyes to keep the coming tears at bay, Kara fishes through the pockets of her jacket, trying to find her burner phone. Instead, her fingers brush against stiff paper. She pulls it out, finding a carefully folded letter. Hope rises in her chest, until she sees the note is from J’onn, not Lena.

_Kara. This decision was not made idly. In this line of work, we don’t have the luxury of second-guessing ourselves. While Lena has made her choice, I have also come to make mine. I think you deserve a chance with us, but you need to convince the others, including Lena. Prove how much you want this. Find us, Kara. Find us, and you’ll earn your Dar-Essa. Until our next meeting, J’onn._

 

When Kara sets the letter down, the last remnants of her headache fade away, as well as all of her panic. She takes a deep breath. “Okay.” She stands up and goes over to the window, staring out at the bright, blue, cloudless sky, feeling clarity for the first time in a while. “Looks like I have a choice, after all.” Folding the letter up, Kara puts it back in her pocket, a small smile growing on her face.

_I’m going to find you, Lena. Even if it is the last thing I do._


End file.
